Skip to main content
Donate

Recipe Contest Runner-Up: Chocolate Plum Jam

By Katherine Spiers
August 2, 2012
Support Provided By
Photos by Shane Redsar
Photos by Shane Redsar

This most recent recipe contest, featuring plums, pluots, and apricots, was a popular one: Chef Ernest Miller of the Hollywood Farmer's Kitchen and I had so many great entries to sort through!

Among the recipes received were a number of great-sounding jams. This particular one, from Caroline Radice of Northern California, sounded particularly compelling, with its mix of fruit, chocolate, and sage. We especially liked the serving suggestion of brie or another strong, soft cheese. It was, it turns out, a perfect combo. We enjoyed it on nectarine scones, too.

We used house-made Farmer's Kitchen berry vinegar for the recipe, and did the "freezer test" to get the right consistency for the jam (drop a spoonful of jam on a frozen plate and return it to the freezer for one minute, then remove and see if it's as thick as you want: that texture will be the same you'll get after jarring).

plumjam2

Chocolate Plum Jam (recipe as written by Caroline Radice)
6 c. Santa Rosa plums, diced
5 c. sugar
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 tbs. lemon juice
2 tbs. pomegranate vinegar (any fruity vinegar is good -- raspberry, balsamic, etc.)
1 sprig of fresh sage (4 or 5 leaves)

Combine all the ingredients in a large, nonreactive pot. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the plums from sticking and burning. Cook until the jam reaches 220 on a candy thermometer, or whatever your preferred method of testing for gel point is.  

Before you put the jam into jars, you can remove the sage leaves if you want. I actually gave the whole thing - sage leaves and all - a zap with my immersion blender since I was using frozen plums that didn't have much in the texture department anyway. Purée it or leave it chunky - either way is fine.

Pour the hot jam into clean half pint jars, leaving 1/4 headspace. Wipe rims and screw on lids.  Process half pints for ten minutes (adjust for altitude if necessary). Enjoy!

plumjam4

Click here for the winner and the runner-up of last month's contest!

Support Provided By
Read More
A black and white photo of an adult dressed as the easter bunny with a giant costumed head, holding a little girl on their left who gives it a kiss on the cheek and, with his right arm, holding a little boy who brings his hands to his eyes as though wiping away tears.

Behold the Bunnies and Bonnets of L.A.'s Past Easter Celebrations

The onset of the spring season heralds the arrival of fragrant flowers in bloom — and all the critters that enjoy them, including the Easter bunny and families who anticipate his arrival with egg hunts, parades and questionable fashion choices.
By Sandi Hemmerlein
A black and white image of an elephant holding a broom with its trunk. A man is seen near the elephant, walking towards the animal.

Lions and Tigers and Cameras! How the Movies Gave Los Angeles a Zoo

The early days of the movies in Los Angeles inadvertently allowed visitors to experience the largest collection of animals in the western United States. When animals weren't appearing in a movie, they were rented out to other film companies, performed for studio visitors, or in the case of filmmaker William Selig's collection — an opportunity to create one of Los Angeles' first zoos.
By D.J. Waldie
A vertical, black and white portrait of a blonde woman wearing a sparkly four-leaf clover costume as she holds her arms out and extends a leg as though in a curtsy.

Irish for a Day: L.A.'s History of 'Going Green' on St. Patrick's Day

Whether it was a parade, dance, tea party, home celebration or just enjoying a good ol' wee dram of whisky, here's a photo essay of how Los Angeles donned its green apparel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and embrace the luck o' the Irish over the years.
By Sandi Hemmerlein