Howdy Gals! I shared one of my older posts on Facebook the other day and it got me so excited about the summer fruit season coming up! Every year I look so forward to making my Sugar-Plum Jam! It brings me back to wonderful memories of the summer’s I spent visiting my cousins, Aunt Gen, and Uncle Al up in Northern California. Oh, the fun we had laughing and fellowshipping around the big dinner table eating the most scrumptious homecooked meals, playing hide and go seek, and picking plums at the fruit orchard. The aroma of the freshly chopped plums bubbling into jam on the stove was heavenly and the taste was even more out of this world! You can read my Plum Jam blog post HERE! If you haven’t tried making plum jam you’ve just got to!
With plum jam the secret is to pick out the plums that are red inside…the black plums with the yellow flesh, not so good. The other thing that I do is to get all the things I need to make my jam ready-to-go the day before. The canner, jars, lids, funnel, jar lifter, knife, sugar, pectin, etc. I have everything set up so all I have to do is fill the canner with water to sterilize the jars, chop the fruit and start cooking. It never fails that when I don’t get everything out ahead of time before I start a cooking project I end up frustrated while rummaging through cupboards and drawers looking for that one utensil that I need. I now try to create a delightful experience by being as prepared as I can. Music, a cute apron, a tidy kitchen and everything I need set out and ready go a long way to add grace and joy to the atmosphere!
This is the canning equipment that I use and love! You can find it here!
Also, if you’re wanting to make preserves this summer look for some jam cookbooks for recipes of course but also so that you can study to get familiar with the jam canning process. You can find some delightful canning cookbooks here! Another resource is to search on YouTube for jam making videos! I’m a visual learner so those videos are invaluable!
In my blog post about making plum jam I also talk about vintage homemaking. Simple things you can do to bring the charm and goodness of old-fashioned ways into your life and home. In a world that’s become so wild and crazy, we need to make our homes a safe, loving, and joyful place for our families! If you’d like to read all about it click here!
I’d love for you to leave a comment below and tell me what you plan on canning this summer! Or if you’d like to try your hand at making homemade jam! This week I’m going to make strawberry jam!
God bless you, dear sisters, as you keep the home fires burning!
Bless your family…make home sweet!
Aunt Ruthie
Thank you, sweet aunt Ruthie for all your inspiring blogs about homemaking and creating a cozy and loving home life for our loved ones. I so enjoy your tips and encouragement. You are a wonderful lady who I find solace and comfort from each day… thank you! I’m thankful that you are increasing your blogs- can’t get enough of your down home country style. Love, a fellow happy homemaker, Rose E. Mansfield
Ditto what Rose said! I believe you have the best homemaking blog out there. Thank you!!!!!! So encouraging!!!
I will attempt strawberry and blackberry jam this summer! :)
I hope you do more YouTube, I love your videos!
I made pear jam last fall and it turned out yummy! I grew up in Southern California back in the good days of California :) The people across the street had a plum tree that grew the red centered plums, but I never knew what the name of those plums were. Any idea? I’ve been trying to find them for years (I’m in TX now).
I do declare this is the year I learn to can!! Sugar plum jam seems like the perfect place to start! :D And, I agree with everyone else, you and your blog are so dearly loved! xo
This is great, I really look forward to your blogs! I make plum jam every year, I use wild plums, and it’s so good! Every spring, my husband and I start riding dirt roads close to our home and keep checking the wild plums trees, then when they’re ripe, we go plum picking! Then of course I start jam making, just love it!
I plan to try your plum jam! I also have a delightful zucchini marmalade. But my dearest love would be to cold pack tomatoes!!! I miss those.
When I have finished canning I find the sparkling rows of filled jars to be prettier than any jewelry I have ever seen, know what I mean?!
The canning bug skipped a generation and landed on my oldest daughter. Thankfully she is still at home and shares the bounty with us. One of the most popular jellies she makes for family and friends is coffee jelly, but plum is right up there with it. She uses all wild fruit. Maybe if I prepared the day before as you do, I would have better success.
I agree with all the other ladies. I enjoy your posts and look forward to reading them. I can apple butter. We have an apple tree that comes into season right around the end of June. I know that is a strange time, but that’s when she is ready. I taught myself to can by reading a canning magazine. It’s hot work but so worth it. My daughter’s friends away at college ask for their annual jars of apple butter. It warms my heart that they enjoy it so much. Many blessings and happy canning!
I enjoy making jalapeno peach jam. So yummy poured over cream cheese and eaten with crackers!!!
My friends and family LOVE sand plum jelly so I plan to make as much as I can this summer. (They are also known as Chickasaw plums). They grow wild here in Oklahoma and they make the best jelly!
Thank you Aunt Ruthie for giving me a great start to the day!!❤️
I plan on making rhubarb jelly,chokecherry jelly, and canning green beans, also various pickles. Enjoy all your fun posts.
Hi….plan to read about making jam. My Grandma made lots of jam..my grandparents lived on 110 acres and had many fruit trees. Ur blog is very inspiring…cant wait to try it!! Thanks, Loretta/Calif.