In the Northern Hemisphere, plums ripen in the summer months, typically between July and September. Yet, plum is such a popular flavor for the November and December holiday season, especially when you include warmer spices, like clove and cinnamon.

What better way to celebrate Christmas in July than to make homemade Freezer Plum Jam, plain and spiced? Load up your freezer with this delicious stuff in the long days of summer so it is all ready to go when the holidays roll around!

This recipe is an excellent beginner jam recipe! It only has a few ingredients: plums, sugar, and spices. There is no peeling necessary, because the thin skin of a plum cooks down so well. You also don’t have to mess around with adding pectin, since the plum skins contain quite a bit already. And since we’re keeping this in the freezer, we don’t even have to sterilize any jars.

TIP: Feel free to personalize the amount of spice you prefer in your jam. You can even leave it out completely and make simple plum jam. The spice level is up to you!

NOTE: Pitting overripe plums can get messy; it’s okay if they get mushed up in the process.

Spiced Plum Jam for the Freezer – No Pectin
(Original recipe: Mind Over Munch)

24 medium-sized plums, overripe
3/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ground clove
2 pods of star anise

Slice plums and remove the pits, keeping the skins on.

Gently fold the plums in a bowl with the sugar. Allow the mixture to sit and macerate for one hour.

After macerating, transfer the mixture to a sauce pot, heat over medium heat on the stove, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat down and allow it to gently simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove the star anise pods, if using.

Use an immersion blender to smooth the jam plums to desired consistency (or leave it chunky, it’s up to you!)

Transfer to airtight jars. If you prefer to enjoy some jam right away, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 weeks. To freeze the leftovers for the holidays, allow the jam to cool completely overnight in the fridge before transferring to airtight glass jars or freezer bags. This jam lasts one year in the freezer.

NOTE: This jam is an integral ingredient in our Copycat Starbucks Sugar Plum Cream Cheese Danish recipe, posting tomorrow!