Cozy chaos plum jam

Zack came home with 1.4kg of plums (yes, he’s a keeper 🍑✨) and instead of staring at them until they went sad and wrinkly, I decided to turn them into jars of cozy calm. Plum jam is one of those recipes that makes your kitchen smell like autumn is on its way — warm, sweet, and a little magical.

Making jam always feels like bottling up a season. A spoonful in winter on toast or stirred into porridge is basically time-travel back to this very moment.

Ingredients

• 1.4kg plums (stoned and chopped)
• 1kg granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon

Optional cozy twist: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, vanilla, or even a star anise pod for a warming spiced jam. 

Method

Prep the plums → Wash, pit, and chop them. Don’t worry if they’re not perfect — jam loves ugly fruit.

Soften → Pop them in a big pan with the lemon juice. Cook gently for around 20 minutes until soft and pulpy.

Sweeten → Add the sugar, stir until dissolved.

Boil → Turn up the heat and let it bubble away for 15–20 minutes, until it reaches setting point. (Test with a cold plate: if it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, it’s ready!)

Jar it up → Skim off any foam, pour into sterilised jars, seal, and let cool.

Cozy Chaos Tip

Jam-making is best enjoyed with the radio humming (blasting!) in the background and a cup of tea within reach (or coffee!). Bonus points if you gift a jar to a friend — because nothing says “I love you” like homemade jam.

And that’s it — simple, sweet, and perfect for spooning over toast, porridge, or even swirled through yogurt when you need a tiny bit of calm in the chaos.