Plum Conserve Jam

Make plum season last for months by making this jammy, old-fashioned mixed fruit plum conserve. Use tart plums or pluots, orange slices, raisins, chopped walnuts.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated January 06, 2023
Elise Bauer
Plum Conserve Jam
Elise Bauer

What Is a Conserve?

A "conserve" is a jam made with a mixture of fruit, usually including some citrus, and often nuts and raisins. It can be served as a topping over pound cake, ice cream, or along side meat such as pork or chicken, or just on its own.

This delicious recipe comes from a Simply Recipes reader, Lou Grubaugh, who shares her favorite old family recipe for plum conserve.

A Riff on a Reader Favorite

We didn't quite have the 3 pounds of tart plums that the recipe called for, so I substituted a few not-quite-ripe pluots, and some perfectly ripe plums too.

Naturally tart Santa Rosa plums work best for this conserve, but if you don't have them, a combination of tart plums and pluots will do fine.

Do you have a special plum recipe? See our post on plums and add your favorite to the comments of that post.

Plum Conserve
Elise Bauer

Love Jam? So Do We!

Plum Conserve Jam

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Processing Time 5 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 96 servings
Yield 5 to 6 pints

This recipe comes from Simply Recipes reader Lou Grubaugh.

Ingredients

  • 7 cups seeded, chopped tart plums (about 3 pounds)
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 navel orange (including rind), thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon, (including rind), seeded and thinly sliced
  • 3 1/2 cups raisins
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Special Equipment

  • 5 to 6 pint canning jars
  • 5 to 6 new jar lids and rings
  • Large (12-quart) pot
  • Flat steaming rack
  • Jar lifters

Method

  1. Prepare jars for canning:

    Prepare your jars for canning. Place them in a large (12-quart) pot of water on top of a steaming rack (so they don't touch the bottom of the pan). The water should cover the tops of the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover, bring the water to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes.

    Wash the lids in hot, soapy water.

  2. Meanwhile, start cooking the conserve:

    Put the plums, sugar, orange, lemon, and raisins into a large 6 or 8-quart pan. Heat until boiling.

    Gently boil for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the mixture starts to thicken slightly.

    If you want, use kitchen shears to cut some of the longer citrus rinds.

    Stir in walnuts.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer
  3. Carefully ladle the conserve into the jars:

    When the conserve is ready, remove the jars from the pot of water and dump the water in the jars back into the pot. Fill the jars one at a time, leaving 1/4-inch headspace at the top of the jars for a vacuum seal.

    Wipe the rims clean with a clean, wet paper towel. Place the lids on the jars, securing with jar rings (do not over-tighten).

    Using jar lifters, lower the jars back into the pot, making sure there's enough water to cover by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, then boil the jars for 5 minute.

    Remove the jars with the jar lifters and set on a clean kitchen towel. Allow the jars to sit overnight. You will hear them make a popping sound as a vacuum seal is created.

    Simple Tip!

    The sealed jars will keep in a cool, dark place for at least 1 year. Refrigerate opened jars and use within a few months.