Plum Conserve from we can’t
Plum Conserve for a Winter’s Night is the first recipe I tried from We Sure Can! – page 127. It is certainly a tested recipe by a writter because it was not spec’d correctly.
The chapter is summer; specifically the last week of August when the black plums/prune plums come in season. The recipe calls for 4lb (or approx 24), limes, sugar, raisins, spice, candied or fresh ginger, walnuts and brandy. It was a cook until done recipe, then add the nuts and spirits. Let cool for 5 minutes to set , stirring occasionally. Ladle into jars, seal and process for 10 minutes.
Substitutes: ½ lemon for lime, chopped dates for raisins and reduced the sugar by ½ cup, plum wine for brandy and an additional ¼ tsp of all spice. I also omitted the walnuts.
Issues: it made 9 cups, not 4-5 so I didn’t have enough room in the canner and most of it went into the fridge. The citrus was far to heavy – I would quarter and put in a turkey brine bag for next time and remove at the end, so it’s an infusion of lemon and pectin without the bitterness. It spit ferociously towards the end and I got badly burned. The halved plums weren’t enough – they should be chopped. After letting stand, I would emulsify before canning.
Otherwise, will make again. It thickened up very nicely.
