Ingredients
350g stoned plums, fresh or frozen
Juice of ½ lemon
350ml water
400g preserving sugar
350g jam/gelling sugar with added pectin

Equipment needed
3 sterilised jam jars
A funnel 

Method
First take 2 saucers and put into the freezer.

Into a heavy based large pan put the plums, lemon juice and add the water and put on a medium heat and cook for roughly 20 minutes until the liquid is simmering and the plums soft.

Meanwhile wash the jam jars in hot soapy water and put into a 180c oven.

Add the sugars to the pan and stir until completely dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for roughly 20 minutes.   You do need to be careful that the hot molten liquid does not bubble up and hit you because it will really burn.  After 20 minutes take 1 of your saucers and 1 tsp of the jam and put it on the saucer and leave for a minute or so.  Take your finger and push it against the jam, if it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, then it is ready to use. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes and try again.

On the top of your jam you might find some foamy bubbles, this is perfectly edible but for perfect jam you can remove it if you like. Perfect jam should be crystal clear. To remove, just take a bowl and a spoon and very gently skim the foam from the top.

Carefully take the jars and very carefully pour the jam into the hot jars.  You need both the jars and the jam need to be at the same temperature.

Get your funnel, a ladle, a tea towel and carefully take the jars out of the oven and put on a heatproof surface. Put the funnel in and using the ladle, carefully fill the jars to the top with the jam. Seal and then I keep one and gift one. Keep in the fridge.