What do I do with a lot of a very sour jam

August 15, 2021 9:22 PM

I made an enormous amount (about a 1/2 gallon) of pluot jam and it's good, but sour and tart. I'd like to do more than put it on toast - how can I cook or bake with it?

Already have plans for putting it on meats like chicken etc. for roasting, going into thumbprint cookies (sugar cookies with jam in middle) and with seltzer as a refreshing drink. We don't drink alcohol right now, but non-alcoholic drink suggestions are welcome. Happy to bake and cook creatively to take advantage of the tart sourness.

posted by Toddles to Food & Drink (20 answers total)

Jelly roll!
posted by The Toad at 10:23 PM on August 15, 2021

Almond slices. The top is sweet almond paste and you put a layer of jam underneath (and pastry under that). Bakewell tarts work about the same.

Victoria sponge is often made as two layers with jam and buttercream between the slices.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:34 PM on August 15, 2021

Best answer: Sweeten black tea with it and serve iced. Maybe make pluot-ade, like lemonade but with diluted pluot jam and simple syrup to taste, perhaps with mint?

It might make a good base for a sweet and tart chili dipping sauce, for fresh rolls and lettuce wraps. In that direction there are things typically served with ume, the pickled Japanese plums - I bet if you balanced it with salt your jam would be a great accent on otherwise plain foods like rice or noodles with simmered or stir fried vegetables. If you can find shiso leaves or perilla, make little wraps with them, some salted rice and your jam, or make pluot shiso maki, maybe with cucumber for crunch. I like to take a mackerel fillet and smear it with some ume paste and sesame oil and stick it under the broiler until the skin is crisp, so maybe try your jam on some oily fish, too.
posted by Mizu at 10:40 PM on August 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You can most certainly do a basic pound cake recipe and swirl in a good half c to three quarters cup once the batter's in the pan.
(Don't stir, just drag it around a bit, it'll sink in)
Just watch your bake time because of the extra moisture (may need a few more minutes than usual).
I've done this with sour cherry jam, the result was delicious.
posted by mdrew at 11:06 PM on August 15, 2021 [3 favorites]

It might go well with ice cream if that's your thing.
posted by oceano at 11:58 PM on August 15, 2021

Jam cocktails!
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 12:55 AM on August 16, 2021

Best answer: Sorry, just saw you don’t drink alcohol. Jam mocktails!
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 12:56 AM on August 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

New Zealand's specialty "Louise Cake" would work well with this. A slice (tray cookie???) rather than an actual cake. It's a short pastry base topped with jam and then a sweet coconut meringue. (Just make sure you use unsweetened coconut or it will deflate the meringue when you stir it through)
posted by slightlybewildered at 2:05 AM on August 16, 2021

Sometimes for an easy dessert, we fill a small glass with greek yoghurt, add a dollop or two of jam, and top the lot with some lightly toasted flaked almonds. A simple jam tart is also a good option that can use up quite a bit of jam: just a shortcrust pastry base, jam on top, into the oven. Lovely.
posted by Ted Maul at 3:34 AM on August 16, 2021

I bet it would work in this jammy fruit bars recipe. It’s adapted from a style of dessert that used rhubarb jam as the filling so I think it would take sour well.
posted by obfuscation at 3:38 AM on August 16, 2021

Seconding the ice cream idea. If you make your own ice cream, when it's finished and you're putting it into a container, put in a thin layer at a time, add globs of jam, then do another thin layer, add more jam and so on, to make plum swirl ice cream.
posted by Redstart at 4:45 AM on August 16, 2021

Baked brie.
posted by DoubleLune at 6:30 AM on August 16, 2021 [3 favorites]

Best answer: You could try mixing a spoonful or two to a good olive oil and see if it makes a good dressing for salad or raw veggies.
posted by Constance Mirabella at 6:55 AM on August 16, 2021

I don't know if fish is already in your definition of meat, but that would be my first choice. Also seconding brie. Perhaps on toasted bread with apple slices if you don't feel like doing something more complcated.
posted by eotvos at 8:49 AM on August 16, 2021

Make Breakfast bars, with a modified jam filling. Tart plum jam would be perfect for this, as a not too sweet breakfast or snack bar.
You can also make muffins and place a spoonful of jam in the center. Same thing with scones.
Jam swirled in plain yogurt for breakfast, with berries, granola, nuts, or whatever toppings you’d like.
I also think it would be great in a glaze for salmon, if you eat fish. Sky’s the limit!
posted by Champagne Supernova at 8:50 AM on August 16, 2021

Best answer: Bakewell tart is a perfect use for this. The tartness of the jam will be delicious with the sweet frangipane (almond cream).
posted by ourobouros at 9:10 AM on August 16, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I bet it would make a great barbecue sauce, mixed with ketchup and a bit of brown sugar and salt, or marinade/glaze mixed with soy sauce and some sugar.

Basically any place you'd usually use vinegar or lemons. Bet it would be great in a salad dressing. Presumably there's at least some sugar in it so if heating keep an eye on scorching.

Alternatively, a lot of people like things like that over very sweet things, like berries or vanilla ice cream.

There are a ton of opportunities to get really creative.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 9:12 AM on August 16, 2021

make salad dressing with it, ideally for a spinach salad with nuts and feta.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:21 AM on August 16, 2021

I can't make out why you couldn't sweeten it to make it more jam-like. This isn't a problem like making a dish too salty or putting in too much hot pepper, you don't have to dilute it, you just need to put in some more sugar or other sweetener and stir it up.
posted by zadcat at 12:32 PM on August 16, 2021

Use it like a plum sauce to glaze chicken or pork. Plums and those meats work really well together.
posted by dbmcd at 4:39 PM on August 16, 2021 [1 favorite]