Wild Beach Plum Jam & Syrup – A Sweet Treat for Your End of Summer Blues

Summer is coming to an end. A fact that I loathe to even think about, let alone type. But before you pack up your beach towels, put away your flip flops and struggle to remember exactly how you fit your folding chairs into those bags they came with, there is one more sweet treat (no, not ice cream…) hiding amongst the dunes, rocky edges and shorelines that will have you singing mid-September’s praises.

Beach plums are one of my very favorite wild fruits for their sticky sweet and slightly tart taste.

While much smaller than cultivated plums, their flavor is warm, juicy and unique. More of a small shrub then a classic fruit tree, they grow along coastal communities and like sandy soil. I often times find them in and around bay leaf in New Hampshire and the North Shore of MA.

Beach plums are at prime picking right now and make excellent jams, syrups and shrubs.

Ingredients

• 6 cups of whole beach plums
• Approximately 1 cup water
• 4 cups of sugar
• 1 packet of powdered pectin

Instructions

Place the beach plums in a non-reactive pot atop the stove, then add just enough water to cover them. Set the temperature to medium and allow the plums to cook until their skins start to burst. Turn off the heat and begin mashing the fruit. You can either strain the mixture through a cheesecloth for jelly, or use a food mill to remove the skins and seeds and include the pureed fruit to make a jam. I used a food mill and got about 4 cups of juice and puree.

Place the juice mixture back in the pot and bring up to a simmer on medium-high heat. Add in 4 cups of sugar (1:1 ratio) and bring to a rolling boil for one minute, stirring continuously. Add in one packet of powdered pectin* and bring to a rolling boil for one minute, don’t stop stirring!

Remove from heat, can and water bath for 5 to 8 minutes. Enjoy for up to 2 years! I like mine over brie cheese, on a charcuterie board or drizzled over vanilla ice cream.

*To make a syrup, simply skip the pectin step. Bottle and enjoy for up to 1 year.

Can’t find any beach plums? Beach rose hips are ripe for the pickin’ right now as well. Check out my recipe for rose hip syrup!