Food Journeys with Oz - September has arrived with plum jam!

Monthly recipes, memories and food stories from Türkiye, the Middle East and beyond.

Plum jam and pekmez recipe

Hello everyone!

After the hottest summer on record, it has felt a little like the Mediterranean around here — something that has made me strangely homesick for a summer in Türkiye, which I haven't experienced in years.

I was wondering what to share with you this month when my plum tree decided to go completely overboard. It has been bursting with plums, so I thought: right, let's use them up!

Growing up in rural Northern Türkiye in the 1980s, September was probably the busiest month of the whole year. We had an abundance of summer vegetables, while the winter vegetables were making their debut.

Many people had allotments, what we called a bostan, where they grew masses of tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, herbs and fruit.

September was all about preserving the harvest for the months ahead. Some vegetables were sliced and dried under the still-hot September sun; some were pickled; others were turned into tomato or pepper paste. Fruits became pekmez, the thick molasses-like preserves traditionally made from grapes and other fruits, or sherbets to drink during the winter. And, of course, there were jams.

I remember the neighbourhood women getting together to make enormous quantities of winter provisions. It made much more sense when you had lots of helping hands. Once everything was finished, the preserves would be divided between everyone who had helped.

As children, we had our jobs too. We would help get the enormous fires going, collecting dry wood and pine cones to keep the fires burning while the women boiled jam, made pekmez, prepared tomato paste or baked flatbreads.

And then came the best bit: going home with freshly made pitta bread, butter and jam. ❤️

Honestly, how lovely was that? Completely homemade comfort food.

I have a fairly small plum tree in my garden. Last year we picked around 5–6kg of plums. This year, it went slightly crazy. We've already had at least 15kg, and there is still plenty left on the tree!

My mum had a very simple way of dealing with surplus plums. It isn't really a traditional jam recipe, it's more of a chuck everything into the pot and let it do its thing kind of recipe.

Very ripe plums, a little sugar, lemon juice and a splash of water. That's it!

Boil everything together, then blend it until smooth.

The result is quite different from a traditional jam. It's softer and more runny, which makes it incredibly versatile.

You can slather it on bread or warm pitta with butter, use a spoonful as a rather fancy-looking sauce on a dessert — à la Michelin-starred chef, or turn it into a Bakewell tart or plum crumble.

Or, like my clever mum used to do, simply mix a spoonful with plenty of cold water in a glass and make your own homemade plum cordial.

If you've got a surplus of fruit in your garden, this is a lovely way of using it up without any additives or preservatives. You can also freeze it in small batches if you've got more than you can possibly eat.

Because this is a low-sugar, homemade preserve rather than a traditional high-sugar jam, it needs to be treated differently: keep it refrigerated and use within three weeks.

Use clean, sterilised jars and, most importantly…

Enjoy! 🫶🏻🍑

Mamoosh's Easy Plum Jam

Makes: approximately 1 medium jar, depending on how much the plums reduce.

Ingredients

• 500g very ripe plums, washed, halved and de-stoned
• 100g sugar — add more or less, depending on how sweet your plums are and your taste
• 100ml cold water — you may need less, particularly if your plums are very ripe
• Juice of 1 lemon

Equipment

• A saucepan with a lid
• Hand blender
• Clean, sterilised jam jar(s)

Method

Place the prepared plums into a saucepan and cook over a low heat with the lid on. Give them a stir occasionally as they begin to release their juices. You can gently mash them with the back of your spoon to help them along.

After about 5 minutes, add the sugar and give everything a good stir.

Add the lemon juice. If the mixture looks very thick, add some of the water. Start with a little — you can always add more. If your plums are exceptionally ripe and juicy, you may not need all the water.

Let everything simmer gently for another 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the plums have completely softened and the mixture has thickened to your preferred consistency.

Take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

Using a hand blender, blend until smooth. Or leave it slightly chunky if you prefer a more rustic texture.

Spoon into clean, sterilised jars, allow to cool, then refrigerate.

Storage

Because this is a low-sugar homemade preserve without added preservatives, keep it refrigerated and use within 3 weeks. Always use a clean spoon when serving. You can also freeze it in small batches and enjoy your summer plums throughout the winter.

A little Mamoosh tip: Don't be too precious about the 100ml of water. The riper and juicier your plums, the less you'll need. This is one of those recipes where the fruit gets to have the final say. 🍑