Baked plum jam

Recipe steps

Halved and pitted plums are placed in a deep baking tray, which we can line with baking paper. We sprinkle them with sugar, add lemon juice or vinegar, and let them rest for 12 to 24 hours.

We place the tray in the oven, set to the highest temperature (250 °C), and bake for about one hour.

Next, we choose one of two options.

Option 1: We reduce the temperature to 150 °C and bake for about 4 hours. Do not stir.

Let it cool down, and then blend it with a hand blender or a potato masher.

If the jam is too thin, we transfer it to a pot and simmer it over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

We pour the hot mixture into clean and dry jars and add a tablespoon of rum to the top of each.

We carefully clean the rims of the jars, seal them, and turn them upside down for about 5 minutes.

If we want to replace the rum with a higher-quality spirit, preferably plum brandy, we pour a tablespoon into the lid and light it. Then we quickly seal the jar with the lid. The spirit will rise to the surface of the jam and burn for a while as long as it has access to oxygen, which sterilizes the space between the jam and the lid, thus preserving the jam. Once the lid is closed, the flame goes out.

Option 2: We reduce the temperature to 50 °C and bake for 8-10 hours (ideally overnight). Do not stir.

After that, we can, but do not have to, blend the jam. While hot, we fill it into clean and dry jars and add a tablespoon of rum to the top of each.

We carefully clean the rims of the jars, seal them with lids, and turn them upside down for five minutes.

Again, we can clean using heated spirit (see point 9).