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Honeyed Plum-Cardamom Jelly Recipe

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Courtesy Pomona’s Universal Pectin
If you’re lucky enough to have a plum tree (or have a friend who does!), and you have access to a good quantity of fresh plums in season, give this gorgeous, deep-purple jelly a try!

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Preserving With Pomona’s Pectin

If you’re
lucky enough to have a plum tree (or have a friend who does!), and you have
access to a good quantity of fresh plums in season, give this gorgeous,
deep-purple jelly a try! Laced with the subtle, quietly complex flavor of
cardamom, this jelly is a sophisticated accompaniment to scones at breakfast or
afternoon tea.

Before You Begin:

Prepare
calcium water.  To do this, combine 1/2
teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with 1/2 cup water in a
small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well. 
Extra calcium water may be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

Yield: 4 to 5
half-pint (8-ounce) jars

Ingredients

4 pounds (1.8 kg) ripe, sweet plums

1 1/4 cups (296 ml) water

1 1/2 teaspoons (3.5 g) ground cardamom

1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice

5 teaspoons (24.6 ml) calcium water

1 cup (340 g) honey

5 teaspoons (15 g) Pomona’s pectin powder

Directions

1. Wash your
jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water,
bring canner to a rolling boil, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize them.
(Add 1 extra minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)
Reduce heat and allow jars to remain in hot canner water until ready to use.
Place lids in water in a small sauce pan, heat to a low simmer, and hold until
ready to use.

2. Rinse,
remove pits, and quarter plums, and then combine in a saucepan with the 11/4
cups (296 ml) of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and
simmer, covered, for 7 to 15 minutes, or until fruit is soft, stirring
occasionally. Remove from heat and mash plums.

3. Transfer
mashed fruit to a damp jelly bag or layered cheesecloth, suspend over a bowl,
and allow juice to drip until dripping stops–at least 2 hours. Discard fruit
pulp or save for another use.

4. Prepare
your jars, lids, and bands; heat up your canner; and sterilize your jars.

5. Measure 4
cups (946 ml) of the fruit juice and combine in a saucepan with cardamom, lemon
juice, and calcium water.

6. In a
separate bowl, combine honey and pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

7. Bring fruit
juice to a full boil over high heat, and then slowly add pectin-honey mixture,
stirring constantly. Continue to stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve
pectin while the jelly comes back up to a boil. Once the jelly returns to a
full boil, remove it from the heat.

8. Can Your Jelly: Remove jars
from canner and ladle jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove
trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, put on lids and screw bands,
and tighten to fingertip tight. Lower filled jars into canner, ensuring jars
are not touching each other and are covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of
water. Place lid on canner, return to a rolling boil, and process for 10
minutes. (Add 1 extra minute of processing time for every 1000 feet above sea
level). Turn off heat and allow canner to sit untouched for 5 minutes, then
remove jars and allow to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Confirm that jars
have sealed, then store properly.