This fresh wild plum jelly was so sweet and tart, I was moved to poetry.
The plums of late spring
are now as bitter as the
early fruit was sweet.
Canning/jarring fresh summer produce is a valuable, practical skill that belongs in everyone’s mental toolbox, much like sewing on a button or treading water. Yet it was something I was reluctant to attempt. Obviously food safety is of the utmost importance, and the thought of botching the jarring process remains discomfiting. Returning home from an extended trip, I found the last half dozen or so of the wild Sierra plums still on our tree and was spurred into action.
The jelly making process is incredibly simple–boil fruit juice, add pectin and sugar. And if you’re making a relatively small amount you can skip the preserving process (keeping in mind that preserves, high in sugar and acid as they are, have a fairly long shelf life to begin with).
Simple as it was, I’m only sorry I didn’t start earlier.
