Why it works: Plum and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,313 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Hffagnum Bonum Plum Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Remove skins and stones from the plums.
Boil the plums alone for about 40 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add the sugar and continue boiling for about 20 minutes or until thickened.
A few minutes before finishing, add a fourth or more of the blanched kernels if desired.
Alternatively, spread the fruit and sugar on dishes for a few hours, then boil for an hour or more, ensuring slow cooking.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Plum + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,313 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Plums
- Provide the fruit, pectin and acid that give the jam its body and flavour.
- Sugar
- Thickens the jam as it boils and preserves it while adding sweetness.
The step that matters
Boil the plums alone, stirring frequently. Plums are high in sugar-poor liquid at first and the thick jam scorches easily on the base of the pan. Frequent stirring prevents burning and keeps the fruit from sticking as it reduces.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More plum jam recipes
You might also like
Mixed Fruit Sherbet6 recipes
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.