At a glance
This oven-baked plum butter takes the hard work out of jam-making—there's no stirring required once it goes into the oven. The plums macerate overnight to release their juice, then bake hands-free for 1.5 to 2.5 hours until thick and syrupy, finishing with a subtle hint of rum and warm spices. You'll end up with around 400-500g of gorgeous deep purple plum butter, sealed and ready to enjoy.
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Prepare and macerate the plums
Wash the plums, remove the stones and cut them in half. Place them in a roasting tin, sprinkle with sugar, add the vinegar and stir everything together. Cover the tin and let the plums sit at room temperature overnight (12 to 24 hours) so they release plenty of juice.
For this step
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Bake the plum butter with no stirring
The next day, put the roasting tin with the plums and their juice into an oven preheated to 150-180°C. Bake for approximately 1.5 to 2.5 hours, until the liquid has evaporated. Don't stir the plum butter at all while it bakes - just check on it visually from time to time.
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Prepare the jars
While the plum butter is baking, get your jars and lids ready. Wash them thoroughly in hot water and rinse well. For extra cleanliness, you can also boil them or sterilise them in a hot oven for a few minutes. They need to be completely dry.
