Homemade Low Sugar Cinnamon Plum Jam
If you have lots of plums on hand make this homemade low sugar cinnamon plum jam! It is low in sugar, spreads perfectly and tastes of cinnamon. A perfect option for those who prefer cutting down the sugar intake!
Guys! Have you ever made plum jam? If yes, what way do you make it? What do you add in it? I have to say that plum jam had been on my TO DO list for a while. My original plan was a bit different though!
So let me tell you a story of a very thick plum jam that in the Czech Republic is called โลกvestkovรฉ povidlaโ. The thing with povidla is that it is not jam as you know it.
Itโs something you normally find in shops in the Czech Republic and also in Slovakia (where I come from). This thick jam is great for baking because of its consistency. It doesnโt go runny, it stays thick and it is not as sweet as typical jams.
I had no idea how to make this thick plum jam and after searching for an authentic recipe I realized there was no proper recipe on the Internet. They all were basically recipes for plum jam. And I wasnโt after that. So I changed my plans and made this no pectin cinnamon plum jam with only a few tablespoons of brown sugar.
It is a nice spreadable jam. When you open the jar you can smell the cinnamon and after tasting you might be surprised by the low level of sweetness. This plum jam contains only a little amount of brown sugar. I didnโt want it to be too sweet.
It is perfect for spreading on sweet breads (banana bread, poppy seed banana bread, challah) or a toast. Sweet breads are already sweet enough so there is no need to make them extra sweet. Keep it balanced with this low sugar no pectin cinnamon plum jam!
Now letโs jump back to thick plum povidla jam. I managed to find some information about thick povidla after I made my cinnamon plum jam!
So this is how it was made:
The authentic thick plum jam would be cooked in a cauldron on a wood burner for several hours. The plums were the only ingredients here. No pectin, no lemon juice, no sugar. Nothing! Just plums! Apparently the plum mixture would thicken naturally when cooled off. When it comes to plums the best ones are the ones harvested after the first frost. They should be over-ripe in order to contain as much natural sugars as possible.
Thanks to an adequate level of acidity and low water content povidla doesnโt go off. And because of this fact the authentic povidla jam doesnโt need to be sterilized. Apparently people would simply pour in into a ceramic container and cover with paper. They would last for several years. It would be so thick that you would need a knife to cut out a piece. Only then you would mix the piece with sugar (or not).
This type of a thick plum jam contains fiber, organic acids and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
The information about povidla that I have gathered on the Internet is pretty limited. I suppose people donโt talk about is because they donโt make it at home anymore. Sure, not many people have wood burners as well as buckets of ripe plums.
These days it might not be worth the time and effort but if you have a plum tree in your garden and a wood burner (+ a lot of free time), give it a go! Simple de-stone the plums, throw them in and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The following hour(s) simmer on lower heat until you end up with thicker consistency.
Pour in sterilized jars, put lids on and turn up-side down. Keep until the following day and check if they are air-tight. This would be as close to povidla as you could get. A very thick plum jam that is perfect for baking (it is a very popular topping for Czech kolache โ yeast based sweet โbunsโ as well as other sweet dishes e.g. sweet ravioli filled with thick plum jam.
If you are trying to reduce sugar intake in your foods, this no pectin cinnamon plum jam might be right for you. And also if you have a lot of plums on hand!
All you need to do is throw all the ingredients in a pot, cook for 20 minutes or until the plums are mushy. Strain through a mesh sieve (not too fine otherwise you will end up with plum juice only). You want to remove the skin only so make sure not to waste any mushy flesh.
If you are looking for more preserving and canning recipes, check these out:
Homemade Low Sugar Cinnamon Plum Jam
Ingredients
- 4.4 pounds Plums , ripe (2 kilograms)
- 10 tablespoons brown Sugar
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
Instructions
- Wash, half and de-stone all the plums. Cut them in halves again.
- Place them in a large pot (with wide bottom). Add sugar and cinnamon stick.
- Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the fruits have softened, stirring occasionally.
- Run the mixture through a sieve (not a very fine mesh one as nothing will come out but the juice). Make sure you get all the flesh through โ the only things you donโt need are the skins.
- Pour the mixture back in the pot and simmer for a further 40 minutes or until you see it has thickened.
Tip:
- Place a small saucer in a fridge before making the jam. When you want to check its thickness, simply take the saucer from the fridge and pour some jam onto it. Leave it cool a few seconds before running your finger through โ making a line. If the jam doesnโt fill the line, then you are good to go.
- Pour/spoon it into sterilized jars leaving about 0.4 inch/1 cm free from the top. Seal with lids and turn up-side down. Let it set for 30+ minutes or following day. To see if the jars are properly sealed tap/push down the lid. If it doesnโt pop up itโs sealed. If it does, it is not air-tight. If this happens to you, simply put the jars in your fridge and eat within a week.
Pre-Sanitizing your jars & lids:
- Sanitize your jars & lids by washing them in warm soapy water and subsequently boiling them in water bath for 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the jars and lids onto a clean kitchen towel turning them up-side down.
Homemade made jam has not only a better flavor, but there is something about it that one appreciates.
Love your clicks! Now I want to make some homemade jam :)
I absolutely agree with you! Thanks for your comment! :)
Such interesting information about how jam used to be made. Love that this version you made is low in sugar.
Thank you Nicole! I have been trying reducing sugar amounts wherever possible and this is one of the recipes where you can do it easily.
How many half pints of jam will this recipe make?
This should yield about 2 half pints, Audie.
I don’t have a sieve, can I just leave the skin in the mix? Also does it work the same if the plums are overripe?
You can do that but I suggest cooking them for a bit longer. You wanna make sure that if you taste the jam, you won’t find the skin there “annoying”. It is up to you. Also this way you should get more jam (and more nutrients as well). Yes, overripe plums are perfect but make sure they are not gone off.
Hi Julia, i have neighbors from Czech republic and I asked them about this jam. I had googled it and found some recipes in Czech, but Google translate was be a little cryptic.
The secret ( and surprising) ingredient is vinegar. Apparently, the acidity is also key to its shelf life. Sometimes they top up the jars with some rum before closing the lid. My neighbor told me that cooking the plums down takes a lot of time and stirring, but that some people also make it in the oven these days.
So I bought 2 kilos of plums and gave it a go.
I lined a baking tray and added the stoned plums and 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar ( seemed more refined than plain vinegar, would have used apple vinegar if I’d had any).after 20 min., I took it out, added 25 gr. powdered sugar and put it back in for 15 min. You are not supposed to stir it. Repeated that step and then I waited a little too long, cause some of the skins got burnt. So next time I will pay more attention and keep the skins down. It cooked down quite a lot, so there wasn’t much jam. At this point I added the cinnamon (1/2 tsp). The jam isn’t very sweet and has a lovely dark color. The vinegar did not ruin the flavor.
Thank you for inspiring my search and experiment. Perhaps you would like to try it yourself one day.
Hi Nelie! Thanks for the feedback and info! Hm, I haven’t found recipes using vinegar but I surely will give it a go next time I’ll make this jam. Did you add 25grams or 250grams of sugar? Normally the more sugar you add the more jam you ge, also it helps to thicken the jam as well as keep it without getting spoiled. (For this one I reduced it to a minimum as I know years back people would not add any sugar in it at all) Also it’s better using granulated sugar – you will get more jam and some people say the jam doesn’t set properly with powdered sugar. Again, thanks for taking time to comment! :)
Do you have a lot sugar recipe for plums and peaches?
Hi Janice. I think you meant low sugar recipe, right? If so, then I am afraid I don’t have one but might give it a go this year :)
Yes I meant low sugar. Thank you
Can I freeze this jam instead of canning it?
I have never tried freezing a jam so I am afraid I won’t be able to help you here, Jane. Sorry about that.
Hi,
I have made a figgy jam–without any sugar–with super ripe figs. I put the finished cooked figs in canning jars that were cleaned and dried in the dishwasher. I used one cup size canning jars and froze 3 jars. I filled one pint jar in the fridge…
I eat it very slowly and not often… I pretty much stopped eating jams made of sugar because I don’t like eating sugar.
I leave enough headroom so the jar won’t explode if it expands.
I haven’t tried your plum recipe yet…
Hi JoAnn, thanks for your comment. I have never tried making freezer jam but I like the idea and hoping to try it next year :)
Iโm making it right now, when I tried to strein it i ended up with just liquid so I decided to put everything back in the pot, know is it supposed to taste acidic? or do I need to add more sugar, so far I donโt think Iโm going to like it, it is not to sweet and thatโs fine but it is too acidic.
Hi Carmen. The taste will depend on how sweet your plums are. If you prefer it sweeter, then you can add more sugar. When you strain it, it has to go back on the stove for a further 40 minutes or so. Hope this helps.
Will this keep longer than a week? I didnโt read all comments, sorry if previously mentioned.
Yes, Arlie it will. If worried, you can simply keep in in the fridge but it will also keep in the pantry. Just make sure it is air-tight. Or if in doubt, you can do the double-safety procedure – the water bath.
Hi. I. Want to make the plum jam with brown sugar Splenda, as I am a diabetic. Do you think that would preserve just as well
Hi Barb, I don’t have any experience using Splenda but from what I’ve read before it does not have the preservative properties like sugar does. You will also probably need to increase the cooking time to get it thicker. However, if you want to sweeten it, I think you could try. Maybe can in small amounts and keep the jam in the fridge. Hope this helps.
This is a reply to Barb about using Splenda. Barb I made fruit leather using italian plum without any form of added sweetener. It turned out great,…so sweet. Like Julia mentioned..you could simple cook the plums longer to make a nice thick sweet jam. Store in the fridge for a time or process and keep for a long time. When canning, sugar makes not difference in preserving fruit. This is also stated in the USDA Guide for home canning.
Can you freeze it to make it last longer?
Yes, you can. Just note that jams stored in the freezer for very long periods can turn watery. Also, make sure there is enough free space left so that the jam has room to expand.
My sweetie has been making plum jam (lots of pectin and sugar) the last two weekends and Iโve been drying plums. Still had bags left so I gave this a go. I think Iโll blanch and skin the plums next time because it took forever to sieve them and I lost lots of pulp. Otherwise, what a simple and delicious recipe. And since Iโm a kolache maker, looking forward to using them thereโ I usually just stew the dried ones in the winter to fill. I added a little crystallized ginger to one batch and itโs a nice complement to the cinnamon.
Thanks for your feedback, Jana! Adding ginger sounds like a great idea. Will try next time I make it!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe with us! My house smells amazing right now, and the jam is sooooo delicious. I love that there are only 3 ingredients in this jam and the directions are simple. Right now Iโm waiting for my jars to cool down, so Iโve decided to make a loaf of fresh bread to go with it. Thank you, again! I love making home made jam – this is the first time Iโve used plums.
Thanks for finding time to write the feedback, Heather. I am so happy to hear you you liked this recipe. Happy Jam Making! :)
Hi! I enjoy reading the recipes; I have tons of plums this year. Hereโs what Iโm doing. I quartered my plums, (skins on) added sugar (more or less) placed in fridge
Overnight, will bring to boil/simmer for about 30 minutes and preserve them for the
winter. Hope it works. Iโm 89 so Iโm not concerned about poisoning myself.
P. S. My wife thinks Iโm a nut case so donโt follow my method. EDT.