With so many plums from our orchard, I am always looking for new ways to preserve them. I like to juice the plums and then make the leftover pulp into plum butter. It is a fabulous way to use all of the fruit. Fruit butter is smoother with more spices and less sugar than jam but used in many of the same ways.
Preparation
Plum Butter
Start by preparing your boiling water bath with enough water to cover 3 pint-sized jars with 1-2 inches of water. Place the water bath canner on the stove on medium heat. Next, preheat your jars in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, submerge your lids in a small pan of water, bring it to a boil, and then leave it at a simmer. Now that your equipment is ready, it is time to start making plum butter.
Making the Plum Butter
Plum pulp
Wash, de-stem, and pit the plums and cook them down to pulp or use the pulp leftover from juicing plums (This is our favorite way.).
blend pulp
Blend the 6 pounds of plum’s pulp so it is nice and smooth.
add ingredients
In a large pot, mix the plums with 2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
Plum Butter – cook until thick
Cook until thick.
Pour or ladle the butter into clean, hot, pint-sized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Place the lids and rings on and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath at sea level or adjust for your elevation.
process in pint jars
Remove the jars from the water bath. Allow them to sit on the counter for 24 hours then check if they sealed properly. The center will be indented down if they are. If not, place any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use them right away.
Place the sealed jars in a cool, dry area and use them within the next 3 years. After that, the nutritional value begins to decrease.
If you have any questions about how to use a boiling water canner take a look at our canning basics videos.
