Red mirabelle jam with chili and rosemary

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 kg Mirabelle plums, red
• 500 g gelling sugar, 1:2
• 2 small chili peppers, dried, red
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• ½ lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 minutes; Total time approx. 14 hours 4 minutes

In some parts of Central Europe, red mirabelle plums can be found in abundance along the roadside (e.g., in the Uckermark region). Their distinctive flavor isn’t as distinctive as that of other fruits, such as strawberries, wild pears, or sour cherries. Therefore, it’s recommended to use a special combination of jam ingredients. I myself come from a fruit-farming family in the Rhineland and enjoy experimenting with homemade jams, preserves, or jellies. Many results are rather suboptimal – not this one: Place about 1.5 kg of washed and dripping-wet red mirabelle plums in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring, then simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat (the skin of most of the plums should have burst open). Allow to cool, then remove the stones from the plum flesh with your hands. There are also varieties whose stones can be easily removed without cooking. In this case, you can pit the mirabelle plums with a cherry stoner and immediately add them to the gelling sugar and the other ingredients. Mix 1 kg of mirabelle plums (pitted) with 1/2 kg of gelling sugar in a 2:1 ratio. Add freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 to 1 lemon, depending on your taste (this is essential, otherwise the mixture won’t set). Crumble in the dried chili pepper(s). Add 1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary and let it steep for about 12 hours. Prepare the preserving jars (boil them or wash them in the dishwasher at the highest temperature) and place them on a clean kitchen towel with the lids next to them. Let the jam boil for 3-4 minutes (test for setting!). Stir any foam that may have formed into the hot mixture. To avoid making a mess, I first pour some of the jam into a measuring jug and then from the measuring jug into the jars. Always make sure that no jam sits on the top rim of the jar or the screw cap (if it does, wipe it away with a clean dishcloth or kitchen towel). Screw the lids on tightly and immediately turn them upside down. Once you’ve filled all the jam into the jars (putting the rest in a small pot for the next morning), you can clean up the mess. Then turn all the jars upside down again (otherwise the jam will cool “upside down,” which won’t look so nice afterward). Label them later, and you’re done!