PLUM JELLY

Steps:

• 1. For the juice: Slice your plums in half and take out the pits. Then cut up your plums in small pieces and place in a dutch oven or large sauce pan.
• 2. Add a cup or so of water and bring to a boil. When you have a full boil, stir, turn it down to simmer and cover the pan for about 10 minutes.
• 3. Then use your jelly strainer, a pillow case or whatever you use to put your fruit and liquid in over a large dish to catch the juice. Let hang there for about 2 to 4 hours.
• 4. Have jars ready by washing them with hot soapy water and getting them sterilized while you heat the lids.
• 5. Now you have your juice measure up 4 cups if you are a little shy you can add water up to a 1/2 c. worth. Put the juice in your pan. (Now you may doubt me if you haven't used liquid pectin, but I ended up reading the insert, because its a bit backward from powdered pectin)
• 6. Stir sugar into your juice. Mix it in well and add your 1/2 t. of butter or margarine. Bring this mixture to a full rolling boil over a high heat, stirring constantly.
• 7. When you have that full boil, add your liquid pectin, make sure you get it all and stir it constantly and quickly. Bring it back up to a full rolling boil, while stirring and when you have that full rolling boil, set timer for 1 minute. You can go over that minute a hair, but not under, stir constantly, till timer goes off.
• 8. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam. Fill jars immediately, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe jars rims to make sure it seals properly. Spoon out your bubbles, cover quickly with lids.
• 9. Put your filled jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes is up, take out the jars and set them on a towel in a cool, dry and pretty airless area to sit and cool. You will hear the pings as they seal. When you do the labels remember to add the date. Enjoy ! ! !
• 10. Be aware, that as with any jelly it can take up to 2 weeks to fully gel. Just discovered that myself when I did this recipe.