tart plum jam, sucrose-free

Sugar comes in many guises: white sugar, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup, molasses, and, if you look a little closer, the molecules sucrose, fructose, glucose, and more. Between these types of sweetner there are differences in flavor, intensity, and speed of digestion. It's the last that my friend Dinosaur pays attention to.

Her favored choice of sweet product is agave nectar, which is derived from the agave plant (which is also what tequila comes from). Agave is mostly fructose, which is the sugar found in most fruits. It is about half as fast acting as sucrose (table sugar), therefore fluctuations in the blood sugar are less extreme.

Most store bought jams are made with sucrose or glucose (also known as dextrose), so Dinosaur and I concocted a plan for some homemade agave nectar jams; here is the first.

Dinosaur Plum Jam
Note: If you want to make this with sugar, just substitute it for the agave. Agave is a little sweeter than table sugar, so make sure to taste the jam and make sure it's sweet enough for you.
4-6 C plums, pitted and chopped roughly
1/4 C lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth, fresh squeezed)
1 C blueberries
3 tsp powdered pectin
1 C agave nectar
1/2 C apple sauce (optional; you can just add more agave nectar instead if you wish; this rounds out the flavor and makes it a little less sharp and one-note)


Combine the plums, berries, and lemon juice and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Using a hand blender, puree the fruit mixture.  (If you don't have a hand blender, you can instead blend it in a food processor or blender, then return to the pan and return the jam to a boil once it is smooth).

In a bowl, mix the agave, apple sauce, and pectin, then add to the jam. If the pectin clumps, just run it through the blender again. Boil one minute, then can the warm jam (see below).

Canning:
Self-sealing canning jars (glass jar with metal ring and lid)
tongs
funnel
large pot

Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add the jars, lids, seal rings, and the tongs and funnel. Boil them while you make the jam (about 10 minutes). On a clean towel, set out the jars, using the tongs, just before you add pectin to the jam. Place the jars face up and make sure not the touch the tops or insides of the jars, nor the lids. Neither you nor the tea towel are properly sterilized. You can leave the lids and rings in the water, if you like.

Fill the jars with hot jam. Using the tongs, place the lids on top and screw the rings on gently. Do not touch the inside or top of the glass with your hands.

Return the jars to the boiling water for five minutes, then remove.

Let cool. Check the button on the lids once the jars cool. If it pops up and down when poked, the jar didn't seal. Stash those ones in the fridge. If the lid is firm, the jars are sealed and secured for several months on the shelf (we hope!).