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by Pam Corbin

This is a great recipe to use up any excess plums from a productive tree. In order to keep the jam full of chunky pieces of plum, this recipe uses a two-stage method – the softened plums will absorb the sugar as they rest in the syrup and this will stop them rising to the top of the jar.

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Buyer's guide

The British plum season starts in late July with the Opal variety and finishes in mid-to late-September with the Marjorie Seedling. Each variety has a 2-3 week season.

Preparation

British plums develop an intense flavour when cooked. They make excellent jam, jelly and fruit cheese, but can also be bottled. Strong spices such as star anise, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon and black pepper all taste good with poached plums. Cream and custard based accompaniments such as ice cream or rice pudding balance their flavour. Out-of-season imported plums can be cooked, but are much sweeter and taste best eaten raw.