The question was asked. A neighbor with a fruit-bearing tree and fruit that could be wasted. What shall I make with the Italian plums so ripe that they’re no longer suitable for snacking? Plum ice cream? Plum crisp? Plum pie for Little Jack Horner even though it’s a bit early? Italian plum jam? Yes, but not conserve because the orange and lemon peels and nuts do not widely appeal, especially to children.
Washed and cut the very, very ripe plums and extracted the less ripe ones for snacks, discarding the bits which needed to join the compost and ended up with four cups of fruit. I looked at a half dozen recipes to get a sense of how much lemon and sugar should be added as I set about to cook the jam with no pectin and no corn syrup.
Making jam is an art. Two and a half hours later with a LOT of stirring to avoid scorched and ruined jam, the reward for labor was small, only one pint plus a half cup. I had the pan scrapings on an English muffin for taste test. Mmm. Love those bits of peel in this “reduction” jam. The flavor is definitely and deliciously plum, and the jam will last a bit longer than a bowl of ice cream or a baked dessert.
Ms Chef in Seattle 
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