Joan Vine is, according to my work colleague Jo Eaton, an avid jam maker, so thankyou Joan for your recipe for Accumul8 and carry on preserving (metaphorically speaking!)

Ingredients:

3lb Plums

1pt Water

3lb Sugar

Method

1 Wash the plums and cut in half. Do not remove the stones.

2 Put into a preserving pan with the water and simmer until the fruit is tender.

3 Test for pectin.

4 Add the sugar, stir until dissolved and bring to the boil.

5 Remove the stones as they rise to the surface.

6 Boil until setting point is reached.

7 Ladle into hot sterilized jars.

Tips

To test for setting put a saucer in the fridge and when you think it is ready put a small amount onto the cold saucer and leave it for a while to cool push it with your finger if it wrinkles it is sufficiently cooked.

If fruit is not very ripe stones can be removed before cooking.

A knob of butter dropped into the jam just before the end of the cooking helps remove the scum or skim it off,

To cover put a piece of waxed or greaseproof paper on top of the jam so it fits to create an airtight seal. Cover with a piece of cling film and screw on the lid.

Date and label the jars.

Recipe reproduced with kind permission of Joan Vine