Italian Plum Jam is one of our absolute favorite jams! The perfect jam to spread on toast or drizzled on yogurt. Even better eaten straight out of the jar with a spoon!
We have been pretty busy the end of summer canning and pickling lots of different things. There actually is a slight indication of fall even for us. Canning and pickling this time of year just feels right. We had fun making our Watermelon Rind Jam.
The problem with this delightful plum jam is that everyone wants to eat it with a spoon right out of the jar. Seriously, it's that good! This jam is so nice paired with pancakes, waffles and especially a simple toast.
If you're thinking ahead to the holidays, this would be the most lovely Christmas gift.
So you may be wondering what is an Italian Prune Plum. They are small and almost egg-shaped. They have the most gorgeous amethyst colored skin and the fruit is a greenish-yellow color. When you cook it, the flesh of the fruit turns a spectacular jewel colored red.
You can find them in markets around mid-August. Moreover, these plums are perfect to use in plum gnocchi (gnocchi di susine). Another favorite plum recipe is this Apple and Plum Cake....we make it every plum season!
Whenever I see Italian prune plums I remember a special moment in Italy. On a solo trip to Italy while taking a road trip with a a dear friend, we were trying to park our car in a lot in Urbino. Urbino is a spectacular medieval city and it's quite tricky to park there.
An older gentleman approached us and offered us to park in one of his spots and the sweetest thing was he offered us to come and see his wife's albero delle susine (prune plum tree).
He implored us, "Please come see my wife's tree…it's filled with fruit!" It's one of those memories from my solo travel days in Italy that I can't forget. So every time I make something with susine (Italian Prune Plums) I think of this lovely couple I met in Urbino and their beautiful and abundant tree .
It all starts out with these gorgeous Italian Plum Prunes. Yes, these are the plums that prunes are made with! Inspired by a recipe in a recent Saveur, we couldn't wait to make this jam!
So all you need to make this jam is the Italian plums, sugar and lemon juice.
You place the sliced and pitted plums in a bowl with the sugar and lemon and let cover with plastic wrap. Secondly, place in the fridge for at least 8 hours (or overnight).
The next day they are ready to cook up! It is really not that difficult to make this jam. There is a method to check if it's ready by placing a small plate in the freezer. You take a teaspoon of jam out and place it on the plate.
If it sets within a minute, your jam is ready! But if it doesn't seem ready, keep on stirring and slowly cooking.
What ingredients are in Italian prune plum jam?
- Italian Prune plums quartered and pitted
- granulated sugar
- lemon
How to make Italian plum pectin-free jam?
- The first step is to wash, slice in half and pit your plums.
- Next, place the plums, sugar and lemon in a bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge for at least 8 hours (or overnight).
- The next day, remove the bowl and place the plums in their sugar syrup in a large sauce pan.
- Slowly simmer the plums until it thickens up.
- It's important to not leave the pan and to keep stirring it. After that, when it seems thickened up you could check the temperature with a candy thermometer (should be 220 F).
- Another way to test for readiness is to have a small plate in the freezer. Remove a teaspoon portion of jam and place on the plate. After that small step, if it sets within a minute, your gorgeous jam is ready to go! In addition to being totally delicious, this is a pectin-free and no-fuss jam recipe.
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Is this jam recipe pectin-free?
Yes, this is a totally pectin-free recipe! Some jam recipes call for 2:1 ratio of fruit to sugar. In this recipe there is 300 grams (1 ½ cups)of granulated sugar used with the 2 lbs of fruit. It's truly the perfect amount of sugar that really brings out the fruits natural sweetness.
This jam is perfect to enjoy with sweet and savory dishes. Native to the Italian peninsula, they have even a slightly sour flavor that makes them so unique and simply addictive!
We give instructions on storing the jam in the fridge. For more detailed info on canning instructions or directions, follow the USDA guidelines.
How much Italian plum jam does this recipe yield?
This recipe makes about 700ml / 24 fl oz / 3 cups of jam.
Some other summer recipes to enjoy:
Originally published September 2019 and updated on August 2021.
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Italian Plum Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Italian Prune plums quartered and pitted
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the plums, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours).
- Place a small plate in the freezer right before cooking the plums (this is to use to check if plum jam is ready).
- Place the plum mixture in a medium sauce pan on high heat. Bring to a boil for a couple of minutes. Lower heat to a low simmer. Stir with a wooden spoon and loosen any pieces that may stick to the bottom.
- Be sure to keep stirring for about 15-20 minutes. You'll know it's ready when juices become thicken like a syrup. You could check temperature with a candy thermometer to make sure it's never over 220 F. As it simmers, remove any white foam that could come to the surface.
- To make sure the jam is ready, remove the small plate from the freezer. Place a teaspoon of jam on the plate. If it sets within a minute, it is ready. If it still appears runny, return the plate to the freezer and continue to cook the plum mixture. Test again in a few minutes.
- Carefully spoon the jam into sterilized jars. Apply lids jars.
- Wipe rims with a clean, damp towel and screw lids on securely but not too tightly.
- Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove jars using tongs. Use potholders to tighten the lids. Place jars on a rack upside-down and let them cool. When they've cooled down, store them in the refrigerator. The jam should keep unopened for several months.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Refrigerator method: Best option. Once cooked, ladle hot jam into sterilized jars, seal, and refrigerate. Keeps 2-3 months unopened in the fridge. Once opened, use within 2-3 weeks.
- Freezer jam: You can freeze cooled jam in clean containers or freezer-safe jars for up to 6-8 months. Thaw in the fridge before using.
- Shelf-stable canning: Not recommended under FDA guidelines unless you use a tested, approved recipe with pectin and the correct acid balance.
Where has this recipe been my WHOLE LIFE! Followed the directions exactly, with approximately 7lbs of fruit from our tree. It was the most simple process, including the plate test. The jam is THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD, I KID YOU NOT. I’ll be doing this again as soon as I can.
Hi Dawn-I love this recipe too. You are SOOOOOO LUCKY to have a plum tree. I am very happy for you that you have one and now every year, you could make this easy plum jam! ENJOY! THANK YOU for letting me know, Dawn.
OMG I am not a jam making person, but I had to give this a try because it seemed very easy. I didn't want a complicated recipe and I had a small amount of plums. I had a jam similar to this in Italy and yours looked like the one I had. WOW WOW WOW. This is truly delicious! I am searching today for more plums because it disappeared so fast! THANK YOU for sharing!!!!
Could I make this jam without sugar? Just cook the plums with the lemon juice & leave the sugar out completely? My plums are really seeet & I like the flavor so wanted to omit the sugar if I could.
Hi MK I have never made it without sugar. You could try it out and the sugar-free version will be less sweet but still flavorful, depending on the natural sweetness of the plums. You may have to add some natural sweetener at the end like a bit of honey or maple syrup, or leave it as is for a naturally tart flavor. Like I said, I never tried it sugar-free, so do let me know how it turns out!
Just made my 2nd batch of Italian Plum Jam! Can't believe how easy this recipe is, and how delicious! A friend dumped a large bag of prune-plums on me and I started pouring thru recipes, trying to find something I would like (I do not like plum jam or jelly - too boring). This recipe caught my eye as it reads as more of a plum preserve. I have never seen or tasted plum preserve, or run across a recipe like yours. So I made the recipe, and was truly astonished by the flavor and beauty of it (I did fudge a little bit and added red food coloring to make it look brighter). That was 2 weeks ago, and today I made it again. This time I didn't even have to use the plate in the freezer; I could tell by looking at it that it was ready to can. I cheated a little more and added
a bit of sparkling red coloring gel with the liquid coloring. My latest plum preserve looks like sparkling jewels, beautiful and delicious beyond description. The recipe is for a small batch, and only yielded 4 half-pints, but I wouldn't change a thing. Thank you, Lola, for this recipe. It is a gift, and I will cherish it.
Hi Violet-Thank you so much for taking the time to write your lovely comment and your tips. Interesting that you added red food coloring, now I'm so curious to see how your jam looks! I'm sure it turned out so nice ...love how you say it looks like sparkling jewels 🙂 Happy JAMMING!!
I'm making this this Plum Jam right now but with Monk fruit sugar, so far it's looking good!
thank you for the recipe.
Hi Maria-Really nice to hear you made this with plum jam with monk fruit sugar. ENJOY!!!
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to post your recipe for me to use and LOVE! I planted a tree a few years ago, for the first time this year (due to freezing and blooming times) it was laden with fruit. But the were falling before (seemingly) fully ripe so your jam recipe was the absolutely perfect solution. It's my favorite jam I make now. Am heading to the store shortly to purchase more for additional to give away - 8 pounds, 2 batches over the next few days. Again, thank you so much for your time!
Ciao Anne-THANK YOU for taking the time to let me know you enjoy the plum jam. How lucky are you to have a plum tree. How lovely you will make more batches to give away. ENJOY!
Your jam recipe sounds great will certainly give it a try thanks
Hi Pam-I do hope you give the plum jam a try while the plums are in season and taste how amazing it is! ENJOY!
I make this every fall when the plums are at the farmers markets in New England. It’s absolutely delicious. It doesn’t last long- I eat it every morning with yogurt and granola. Perfect.
Hi Jessica-I can't wait to find these plums...when they're at our local market, they don't last long. I'm so happy you enjoy this jam. Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Hi!
I was just wondering how ripe the fruit is that you use? I just found a grove of Italian plums in a field behind our house. They are just starting to get ripe enough to eat but most are a little firm still. Just wondering if I could make the jam now or if it would be better to wait a few more days.
Hi! The plums I used were ripe, but not overly ripe. I wouldn't wait to let them get over rip, they should still yield when you put a little pressure to them. How incredible that you found a grove of Italian plums by your house!!! You should also make my plum cake! https://www.savoringitaly.com/easy-italian-plum-cake/
Hi and thank you.
I have a plume tree but the fruit is so high up that it can’t be picked by hand and so when they are ripe they fall to the ground crack open. I decided to try you to make the jam from really bruised plumes? Right now it is in the fridge with sugar and lemon . Will it make jam ? They still have wonderful flavor
Hi Susie-You are so lucky to have a plum tree! I don't see why it wouldn't make the jam, even though it's bruised. I haven't ever tried. But do let me know if it worked. I'm sure it will be delicious!
My family loves this jam. I have made it with fresh and with frozen plums and it also freezes very well. The only thing I would change is the amount of lemon. I would reduce the amount to 2 tablespoons.
Hi Marie-Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Depending on the size of the lemon, it could be 2-3 tablespoons of juice from the lemon. Sure, 2 tablespoons is fine for the recipe! Happy you enjoy my Italian plum jam...Happy Thanksgiving!
This is such a great recipe! It’s so easy and we went through 6 jars already.
Hello Tiffany-That's amazing!! We really love this Italian plum jam too! Wish I could find some more of the plums. Enjoy!!
So delicious and easy!! I moved to my house 6 months ago and have an Italian plum tree. Hadn't heard of this before and began looking for recipes and found yours. It is true, you will eat it right out of the jar no extra foods needed! What is really great is the natural plum taste is not hidden by other additives and spices. it tastes so natural. I shared a jar and within an hour the recepient asked for the recipe. Of course.....she is a smart woman! Thank you for sharing.
Hello-THANK YOU for taking the time to leave a review about our Italian plum jam. How lucky you bought a house with a plum tree!!Yes, no additives, all natural, and so delicious. ENJOY!
Have made two 2 lb lots, pitting before weighing. Turned out great but did not get 3 cups; more like 2 3/4 cups both times. Tastes great. Am planning to make another batch tomorrow as our plums need to be picked.
Hi Jan -Thanks for letting us know you enjoyed the recipe. Lucky you that you have more plans to pick more plums and make more jam! Happy jamming!
excellent easy to follow directions. The taste is superb . Thank you very much. I was happy when i found out what to do with six pounds off the neighbors trees.
6 pounds off the neighbors trees...wow, you're so lucky! Happy you enjoyed! And lucky you with the neighbor's trees so you can make Italian plum jam! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to write me!! Happy JAMMING!
Excellent
Hi Clari-THANK YOU for taking the time to let us know you loved our Italian plum jam!
This is extremely simple and full of flavor! A local orchard had Italian plum trees odd for Idaho this time of year!!!! we got lucky!!!! and this was our first time seeing them, so unique. I made 4lbs, doubled. yeilding about 9 half pint size jars. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I loved the story about the old couple and the bountiful tree. my family of 5 love this!!! xoxo
This is a great recipe. I have my fruit in the fridge, but I am curious how many jars, this may take?
Hi Sorensen-Depending what size jars you have, but this is what the amount like this should yield: 700ml / 24 fl oz / 3 cups of jam.. Hope that helps!
beautiful! love your blog, thank you for your hard work,
Hi Sel, Thank you...so happy you enjoy this Italian plum jam! XX
Your biscotti’s look delicious and l plan on making them soon.
Thank you
Hi Janet...thanks so much for letting me know! I hope you make the biscotti! ENJOY!