flipPlum Jam for Winter
Plum Jam for Winter
Why this dish? The orchard at Éragny yielded more fruit than the family could eat in season. Like any thrifty rural household, they cooked plums into jam to get through the winter—a sweet reserve in a life of limited means.
Plums from the orchard slowly cooked with sugar until thick and glossy, both sweet and tart. The indulgence put up in jars that stretches summer into the heart of winter.
At the end of summer, when the plum trees bend under the fruit, nothing is wasted: Julie spends whole days at the copper basin, stirring the plums and sugar until it sets. The whole house smells of cooked fruit, the children hang around to lick the foam. And then in winter, you see, when the garden is nothing but snow and I paint the bare trees, a spoonful of this jam on bread gives us back a little of July's light.
- •Plums (quetsche or mirabelle) from the orchard — a large basket (fruit)
- •Sugar — almost as much as fruit (preservation and sweetness)
Plum Jam for Winter
Plums from the orchard slowly cooked with sugar until thick and glossy, both sweet and tart. The indulgence put up in jars that stretches summer into the heart of winter.
Why this dish? The orchard at Éragny yielded more fruit than the family could eat in season. Like any thrifty rural household, they cooked plums into jam to get through the winter—a sweet reserve in a life of limited means.
At the end of summer, when the plum trees bend under the fruit, nothing is wasted: Julie spends whole days at the copper basin, stirring the plums and sugar until it sets. The whole house smells of cooked fruit, the children hang around to lick the foam. And then in winter, you see, when the garden is nothing but snow and I paint the bare trees, a spoonful of this jam on bread gives us back a little of July's light.
Ingredients (period version)
- Plums (quetsche or mirabelle) from the orchard — a large basket (fruit)
- Sugar — almost as much as fruit (preservation and sweetness)
Ingredients
- Plums (quetsche or mirabelle) — 1 kg pitted (fruit)
- Granulated sugar — 750 g (preservation and sweetness)
- Lemon juice — 1/2 lemon (acidity and setting)
Method
- Wash, cut, and pit the plums; place in a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice.
- Let macerate for a few hours (ideally overnight) so the juice releases.
- Pour into a large basin or wide pot and bring to a boil.
- Cook over high heat for 25 to 35 minutes, skimming and stirring, until a drop sets on a cold plate.
- Pour boiling into sterilized jars, seal, and turn upside down until cool.
How it was made : Before refrigeration, jam was an essential preservation method: sugar, which became more affordable in the 19th century, allowed orchard fruits to be kept for months. Cooking was done in a copper basin, and every rural household made its autumn reserves.
The contemporary twist : A vanilla pod or cinnamon stick during cooking, and served with farmer's fromage blanc: the preserve becomes a seasonal dessert.
Camille Pissarro · Charactorium
