Jammin' Now, Mon!

 

Nope, not spaghetti sauce....

My mom has two fruit trees in her backyard: peach and plum. The plum was just overloaded with fruit this year, probably due to the nice rainy season we enjoyed. The peach tree likewise will almost break the limbs once the peaches ripen.

The plum tree has about three-quarters of its bounty ready for harvest, and so what's the logical thing to do? Get canning! (jarring?)

 

 

With my mom as instructor, I produced my first ever batch of plum jam! I intended to make lovely clear plum jelly, but the cheesecloth and I had a falling out...that crap gets skin-blistering hot!

Must confess, I had to re-boil the second batch, because know-it-all-me didn't measure the batch and just assumed it would all jell just fine, even though The Joyce told me, "Nope, ain't gonna happen."

Guess what? Didn't happen. So, I just finished the second batch for the second time. All looks better this go round. Had to add more sugar, too, because those dang native plums are jaw-breaking sour, especially the skin.

For something a little different than what Mama always made, I added some almond extract and a pinch of cardemon to the first batch, all against the Jelly Ju-Ju Queen's approval. But, she has nearly finished the first half-pint jar we made yesterday, declaring it Andy Taylor goooo-oood.

Admonished Kman he'd better lie even if he didn't like my jam; I have about fifteen chigger bites from gathering those danged plums, a kitchen sticky stem to stern, and scalded fingers.

Homemade jam truly is a labor of love; why else would we do it?