You may have noticed that I avoid processed and refined ingredients in my everyday cooking. Things like white sugar, vegetable oils, and white flour are not likely to appear on my ingredient lists, and that is something I am very proud of. I am always looking for ways to make healthier, more nutritious versions of the foods I love with appropriate and sensible substitutions, and I will continue to do so.
However, there are some foods that will never fit this profile, and I still enjoy them unapologetically. I believe that in a healthy and balanced diet, there is always room for indulgence and not-so-virtuous foods…all in moderation, of course.
One of the things I have always loved is the jam. Specifically, homemade jams. More specifically, my father’s homemade jams. My dad was the KING of jams. Okay, that made him sound like Bob Marley. Daddy with dreadlocks. HAHA! Ok, fine, I’ll stop now.
Seriously though, he made the best strawberry jam (although my version is pretty good too), apricot jam, and date jam…that DATE, JAM! …sigh… They were just incomparable to anything else. I think what made them so superior to commercial jams was the amount of sugar in them; he used a ratio of 500g of sugar to 1kg of fruit, which is 50%, as opposed to the staggering 2kg of sugar to 1kg of fruit that was – and still is – the norm for most people I know. That’s 200% sugar, folks! YIKES! Any hope of flavor in that poor fruit would undoubtedly be destroyed and obliterated beyond recognition.
Another reason I loved my dad’s jams so much was because of the simplicity of his ingredients: fruit, sugar, and lemon juice. No pectin, gelatin or thickeners of any kind resulted in a more syrupy, loose and natural result, as opposed to the more solid, gelatinous and jelly-like store-bought stuff. Some people like their jams jiggly… not me, not me. I love it all loose and drippy and sexy…
A few years ago, I was on the north coast of Egypt for the summer, staying with my husband’s family, and I tasted plum jam for the first time. The mother of my husband’s cousin’s wife (wowzers) makes homemade jam and had brought some to the house as a gift. It just blew me away! For a while, I couldn’t even figure out what kind of jam it was because of the beautiful complexity of flavor and deep berry-like color. I asked her for the recipe and was pleasantly surprised to find that she uses pretty much the EXACT same method as my dad. I have made it several times since then and it always turns out just sensational.
So, in my constant quest to reduce my sugar intake, I wondered if I could go even lower with my sugar to fruit jam ratio. The 500 grams of sugar was wonderful, but my taste buds have changed and evolved from limiting my sugar intake. I have become extremely sensitive to it; I no longer enjoy overly sweet things and prefer to taste the actual fruit. I researched the minimum amount of sugar needed to make jam, and the most conclusive thing I could find suggested that going below 30% would make it too unstable.
You see, the sugar used in jam is not only there to sweeten the fruit, but it is essential to give it a longer shelf life. It acts as a preservative and prevents it from moldying or decomposing. The high sugar content of jams is why you can keep them in your pantry and not in the refrigerator. However, I don’t make a lot of jam at home and always keep it in the fridge anyway, so this doesn’t matter much to me…so I decided to push the envelope even further, seeing how beautifully ripe and sweet the fruit I would be using is.
I made it with only 250g (25%) sugar, which turned out fabulous. I’m tempted to go a little lower next time – I think 15-20% would be even more delicious. The flesh of the plums is so incredibly sweet, while the skin has a lovely acidity, so the jam is wonderfully balanced and totally addictive! …and would you look at that STUNNING COLOR!
As for the process, it is quite simple. There is nothing complicated or intimidating about it. You cut your fruit to the size you want; I like to leave the plums in halves because I love having big pieces of fruit in my jam…you can chop them smaller if you like. You add the sugar and let it sit for a while until the sugar dissolves and the fruit releases its juices – this takes about an hour or so, but you can do this part and let it sit overnight.
Then cook the jam over a low heat until it forms a bright pink foam on the surface. You must be careful not to get impatient and resist turning up the heat, or you will end up scorching the bottom and burning the jam (been there, done that, threw a tantrum, still ate it). You remove as much foam as you can with a spoon into a bowl, lick it all up when no one is watching, and throw it away. Don’t worry too much about getting ALL the foam, that’s impossible.
Add some lemon juice and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until a little thicker and syrupy, and you are done! If you don’t like your jam too syrupy, you can remove some of the syrup and bottle it separately to use on pancakes. I honestly wouldn’t bother.
Now it’s time to spoon the jam into your warm sterilized jars while everything is still super hot. Sterilizing jars is easy, there are several methods to choose from. I like to use the classic boiling method and then transfer them to the oven (on low heat) to keep them warm while I finish making the jam.
Now let it cool and enjoy it however you like!
I LOVE this jam with crepes and pancakes, but my absolute favorite way to eat it is spread over homemade labneh on toast, like this:
Scientific studies have conclusively proven that there is no better breakfast on earth.
Low-Sugar Plum Jam
Ingredients
- 1 kg red plums
- 250 g sugar of choice I used raw cane sugar
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash, pit and slice the plums into halves or quarters. Put them in a large stainless-steel or enamelled pot and add the sugar. Toss to distribute the sugar through the fruit, cover the pot and leave it for half an hour or up to overnight to allow the fruit to macerate and release its juices and the sugar to dissolve. Do not refrigerate.
- When you are ready to cook the jam, sterilise the jars you will be using to store the jam using your preferred method. I simply wash the jars and their lids with warm soapy water, rinse, then place the wet jars and their lids onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and place the tray in an oven preheated to 130 degrees C (270F) for at least 20 minutes; leave them in there while you make the jam, as you will need the jars to be hot once the jam is ready. This recipe yields about 600-750ml of jam so prepare enough jars accordingly.
- Take the lid off the pot and place it on the stove on a low heat (DO NOT turn up the heat to high or you will scorch the bottom and burn the jam). Cook, stirring occasionally and gently, until a foam starts to form, about 10-15 minutes. Using a large spoon, skim as much foam as you can off the jam and discard. Don’t worry too much about getting all of it, just as much as you can manage.
- Add the lemon juice, and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until thickened slightly and syrupy.
- IF USING JARS WITH METAL SCREW-TOP LIDS: While the jam is still hot, remove the jars carefully from the oven, making sure not to touch the insides of the jars or their lids, or you will introduce bacteria all over again. Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, screw the lids on immediately and flip the closed jars upside down onto a tray and leave them to cool (you have to do this while the jam is super hot, so don’t wait till you’ve filled all the jars to start putting the lids on; close each jar quickly as you go). Once cooled completely, store the jars in the fridge* This method creates a tight seal and a vacuum which will mean the jam will last longer before spoiling.
- IF USING FLIP-TOP JARS OR ONES WITH CLIP-ON GLASS LIDS: While the jam is still hot, remove the jars carefully from the oven, making sure not to touch the insides of the jars or their lids, or you will introduce bacteria all over again. Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars and leave to cool completely before putting the lids on. Store in fridge.
Notes
- Feel free to experiment a little with the amount of sugar you use, however, I recommend keeping the jam in the fridge because of the low sugar content as a precaution.
- DO NOT double the quantities and make a double batch of this jam (or jam in general) - it just won't cook as well or effectively, and will GREATLY increase the cooking time and chances of burning.
Nutrition
My name is Noha.
I’m passionate about food, an avid traveler, and I love to explore new cultures and cuisines whenever I get the chance by sharing my recipes and experiences with my readers.
A big fan of exploring different cuisines and always looking for new and exciting flavors to explore. I’m especially interested in healthy eating and finding ways to make delicious dishes without sacrificing nutrition.
