Nostalgic Plum Jam.

When I was a child my dad had 7 or 8 plum trees that lined the edge of his property, providing a partial barrier between the yard and the coastal highway. I loved to eat the little Italian plums in the summer and my brother and I would pick a bunch and carry them up to the neighbor's house so she could can them. When Jake's mom was visiting we stopped at a small produce barn on the side of the road so I could pick up tomatoes and my heart skipped a beat when I saw a box of Italian plums. You see, my dad cut down the trees while I was away at college, in order to build a new mini storage building in the front yard. At the time we had a conversation where I begged him not to cut them down because I am against cutting down trees unless they're rotten and going to fall and harm someone. I was so sad but he told me recently that he had saved one tree for me and that it, "drops fruit all over the sidewalk every year because nobody is here to pick it." I really do have amazing parents who show me so much love.

When I saw the plums at the produce barn I just had to buy some. I filled up a little bag and ended up with about 3 lbs. of plums. I think plums taste pretty amazing so I didn't want to do anything too crazy or unique with the jam, I just wanted to make something simple and delicious.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. plums, pitted and chopped
6 c. sugar
1/2 t ground cloves
1/4 c. lemon juice

I decided to add a tiny bit of ground cloves to my recipe because cloves also leave me feeling nostalgic. Every year at Christmas my mom and I make the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on the face of the planet. They are so delicious and as we're mixing the cookie dough, I always catch the scent of cloves and I think that is what really makes the cookies exceptional.

Sterilize jars.
Place all ingredients in non-reactive pot. Slowly bring to a boil, stir until sugar dissolves. Boil until jam reaches the gelling point, stirring continuously as to not burn the jam.
Ladle jam into jars, leaving 1/4 in. headspace. Wipe rims with damp towel, add heated lids and screwbands. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.