Last Updated on May 21, 2025 by Sabrina Currie
Have you got lots of plums? Here are the top 15 canned plum recipes including chutney, jam, plain, etc. These recipes will walk you through the preserving and canning process plus there are lots of great ideas to use your plum preserves all year.
I have many memories of canning homegrown plums with my mother and grandmother. She grew Italian prune plums which are my favorite variety. Sometimes we canned whole plums with their pits, other times we would pit and halve them before canning. They would become jammy and sweet, canned in a light syrup, and made an easy dessert and tasty snack.
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If you've got a plum tree heavy with fruit or just found a great deal on fresh plums at the grocery store, it's the perfect time for canning plums. Whether you're working with purple, red or yellow plums, prune plums, Italian plums, or wild plums, preserving them in jars is a great way to enjoy the taste of ripe, seasonal fruit for the coming months.
From hot syrup to raw pack, the canning process might sound intimidating at first, but with the right tools-a water bath canner, quart jars, and an optional jar lifter-it's surprisingly simple. Preparing plums is straightforward, especially if you're working with freestone varieties. These easy recipes don't require a pressure canner making them easy and approachable even for first time canners.
Plain Canned Plums
These recipes will walk you through the process from washing plums to packing them in hot jars to removing air bubbles and adding lemon juice for safety and brightness. Choose from using sugar syrup, plain water, or fruit juice as your canning liquid.
Canned stone fruits generally work really well in cakes calling for fruit. I love scooping sweet, syrupy canned plums over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For a breakfast treat, spoon canned plums over some thick Greek yogurt and top them with a sprinkle of granola.
Plum Butter
Plum butter is great on toast and yogurt but equally good as a sauce for grilled or roasted pork and chicken.
A Note On The Safety Of Water Bath Canning
Water bath canning is a simple and effective method for preserving high-acid foods like fruit, including plums. Using a boiling water canner, filled jars of prepared fruit are fully submerged in hot water and processed at a full rolling boil for a specific amount of time.
This heat kills off harmful bacteria and seals the jars, allowing you to safely store your homemade preserves in a cool, dark place for later use. It's an ideal canning method for beginners and a trusted favorite for putting up everything from plum sauce to homemade plum jam. in a cool, dark place. and the best ways to store jars for long-term storage.
Port Spiced
Canned plums in port are a special treat in the winter. Serve the plums with whipped cream or ice cream, on cake or with a cheese board. Save any leftover port syrup to stir into cocktails.
Chutney
Plum chutney is fabulous alongside curry, as a sandwich spread and as a sauce for meatballs or pork. It's also great served at room temperature on a cheese platter.
More Ways To Use Your Garden Produce
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Asian Sauce
Asian plum sauce is a classic in Chinese food restaurants served with spring rolls. This canned plum sauce works well as a marinade or glaze for chicken wings, pork skewers and cocktail meatballs.
Salsa
Why make regular salsa when you can make canned spicy plum salsa?! Sweet and spicy, this is a delicious and unique way to use up lots of plums.
Pickled
Love pickles? Then these jarred pickled plums are definitely for you. Sweet and salty, they make a great condiment or sandwich pickle.
Pie Filling
Canned pie filling is one of the best canned plum recipes because it is so handy to have in the pantry. To whip up a home baked pie quickly, it's a gem. This canned plum pie filling is full of flavor and will help make pies, crisps and crumbles a breeze.
Syrup
Not just for pancakes and waffles (though perfect for them too), this plum syrup makes great cocktails or a dessert drizzle.
Jams
A list of the best canned plum recipes wouldn't be complete without jam! Homemade plum jam is good on toast, of course, but it's also wonderful spooned over brie cheese or alongside a cheese board.
Whether you pack plums whole, halved, or in a sweet plum mixture, these easy plum recipes will help you savor the harvest season long after it ends.
More Great Fruit Recipes
- Easy Traditional Pickled Blackberries
- Easy Homemade Raspberry Ice Cream With Fresh Berries
- Easy Plum Flan
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