Mirabelle (plum) Jam with vanilla and star anise
If I tell you that I like the end of summer as much as the beginning, are you going to stop reading my blog ?
It’s not that I don’t appreciate summer but I like the first signs which announce the change of seasons even more. It’s a bit like a renewal. The tiny changes in the air, the light which is different, the birds which sing a different song, the routines that stop and then start again, are all the things I love.
At the end of summer, it’s also time to rediscover all the fruits from the plum family and especially the “Mirabelle” which is a small yellow plum from Lorraine, a region on the east part of France.
It’s season is extremely short, so I decided to use them as soon as I could, making this jam.
As I use agar agar more and more in jam, I tend to make it very often. Beyond the fact that I use 50% less sugar, I find it much easier to prepare than the traditional way. So, I use seasonal fruits to prepare a small amount of jam as I’m nearly the only one who loves jam at home.
If you wish to offer these jams as an edible gift, don’t forget to tell your friends that it must be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks maximum.
What is agar-agar?
Agar-agar is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed. It can replace gelatin in most recipes. You can find it in all organic shops in different forms, such as powder or flakes. I always use powder which is easier to use.
Mirabelle (Plum) Jam with vanilla and star anise
600 g Mirabelle (weight without the stones)
275 g sugar
½ level tsp agar-agar
1 vanilla pod
2 stars anise
The same day
Wash the mirabelles and dry them.
Halve them, remove the stones and put them in a saucepan with the sugar.
Open the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape the seeds and add them to the pan with the star anise.
(Keep the vanilla pod to flavor some sugar).
Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir very gently with a spatula or wooden spoon, until all the sugar has melted.
Pour into a bowl, cover and keep in the fridge overnight.
On the following day
Pour the contents of the bowl (fruit and juice) into a large saucepan.
Remove the star anise.
Bring to the boil over medium to high heat and cook for five minutes stirring gently with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Add the agar agar and cook for another 1 minute, stirring.
Pour the jam into sterilized jars, close the lids and let cool upside down.
Keep them in the fridge.
I’m so fond of homemade jams that knowing I have them at home for my breakfast makes me smile when I wake up.