Neither long simmering nor heat-canned, this vibrant, lightly spiced jam couldn't be simpler to prepare. Red-fleshed plums lend a gorgeous garnet color, but any variety works well. 

Ingredients

[ingredients]

1/3 cups coarsely chopped Meynard Plums (from about 1 1/4 pounds)

1 (1-inch) piece ginger (about 1 1/2 ounces)

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/4 cup Ball® RealFruit® Instant Pectin

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

[/ingredients]

Directions

[directions]

1. Bring plums and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then reduce heat to low and simmer until plums begin to soften and liquid is reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, finely grate ginger, then squeeze juice into a small bowl; discard pulp.
3. Combine sugar and pectin in a large bowl. Add plum mixture, lemon juice, pepper, cardamom, and 1 tsp. ginger juice (discard any remaining juice), then stir constantly for about 3 minutes to activate pectin. Using a potato masher or fork, break up any large plum pieces, then let cool at least 30 minutes.
4. Ladle jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 from the top to allow for expansion. Cover and chill.

[/directions]