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Home » Condiment

Greengage Jam with Sweet Spices

August 8, 2020 by Jane Saunders 9 Comments

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GREENGAGE JAM - Pinterest image
GREENGAGE JAM - Pinterest image
GREENGAGE JAM - Pinterest image

Make the most of the greengage season by making a batch of spiced greengage jam. Dipping into a jar of this sweetly spiced conserve will be a wonderful treat as the cooler days of autumn set it.

Contents hide
1 What are Greengages?
2 Ingredients
3 Step by Step Instructions
4 Recipe FAQs
5 More Jam, Preserve & Spread Recipes
6 Recipe
7 Spiced Greengage Jam
A jar of homemade greengage jam with fresh greengages on the tabletop.

This post contains affiliate links. As a Thermapen associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I unexpectedly found myself making this spiced greengage jam recently after a lovely friend delivered a large stash of greengages that she had harvested from her garden. I’ve rarely come across this fruit in the supermarket or even in local farmshops, so I was really quite delighted with my gift.

My friend warned me that they had started falling early this year for some reason, and they were still quite tart. One bite confirmed my suspicions – they would make some fabulous greengage jam.

Adding a gentle buzz of sweet spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, star anise, cardamom and some sweet, floral vanilla seemed like a great way to take the base recipe. So I went with the meanderings of my mind and created this spiced greengage jam.

Greengage jam on a vintage saucer with an open jam jar behind.

What are Greengages?

Greengages are sweet dessert plums that are green in colour.

They first appeared in Britain in 1724, and although not as common as other plum varieties, they are without a doubt regarded as one of our national culinary treasures.

A wooden box holding lots of greengages.

They typically start to ripen around mid-August, but picking just ahead of this time is a good move if you intend to make jam with your greengage harvest. Under-ripe greengages are tart in flavour, just like gooseberries, and they contain higher levels of pectin, which is essential for helping achieve a good jam set.

If you enjoy jam with a little tartness about it, try my damson jam too.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this greengage jam recipe are simple:

Greengages – use slightly under-ripe fruit if possible, as this contains more natural pectin than ripe fruit

Sugar – regular granulated white sugar works a treat here – there’s no need for jam or preserving sugar

Spices – a mix of spices you are likely to have in your pantry if you enjoy cooking and baking

Butter – just a small knob of butter stirred in can help disperse any scum that may arise during cooking

Fresh greengages being destoned and chopped for making fruit jam.

You will notice that I do not list either pectin, specialist jam making sugars or lemon juice in this recipe. That’s because slightly under-ripe greengages have sufficient pectin in them naturally to achieve a good set when making jam.

During my testing for this recipe, I made a batch using a little lemon juice (evident in the images) to see if including a small amount would help retain the vibrant green of the raw fruit. As it made no difference whatsoever, I have not included it in the final recipe for this spiced greengage jam.

Step by Step Instructions

Jam making is a relatively simple process. It’s really a series of steps and if you follow them to the letter, very little can go wrong.

My top tip for you is to ensure you cook the jam to setting point, which is 105C/ 112F. Under-cooked jam will be too runny and overcooked jam can be incredibly firm.

  • Halve the greengages, remove the stones and chop roughly – I chopped each half into 4 or 6 pieces, but you can leave chunkier if you would like larger pieces in your jam
  • Put the fruit into a large saucepan along with the sugar and water. Remember that jam will bubble and boil as it cooks, so it is better to choose a pan where the contents leave plenty of room for this to occur without the risk of it boiling over
  • Press down firmly on the cardamom pods using the back of a blunt knife until they crack open. Scoop the pods and seeds into the pan
  • Slit the vanilla pod lengthways with a sharp knife. Scrape the seeds into the saucepan then drop in the pod
  • Add the cinnamon, star anise, ginger and nutmeg to the pan
  • Stir everything together, then cook over a gentle heat for around 20 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit is soft
Chopped greengages in a pan ready for cooking into jam
Ingredients in a saucepan - fruit, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, star anise, nutmeg
Process shot - making fruit preserve using chopped stone fruit and various spices
Process shot - part cooked spiced fruit preserve in a saucepan
  • Take off the heat and leave the jam to infuse for 30 minutes
  • Remove all of the spices – count them out to ensure none are left behind
  • Optional step: use a stick blender to perform 3 x 1 second pulses of the jam. This breaks some of the fruit pieces down whilst still leaving plenty of fruity chunks behind
  • Prepare 2 sterilised jam jars: wash in soapy water, rinse and then put into an oven heated to 140C/ 284F for 15 minutes
  • While the jars are sterilising, cook the jam over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until it reaches 105C/ 221F on a digital food thermometer (I used my Thermapen)
  • Once this temperature has been reached turn off the heat, stir the butter through the jam and leave to cool for 10 minutes
Taking the temperature of fruit preserve in a saucepan with a thermometer
Process image - stirring a knob of butter into a saucepan of cooked fruit conserve
Process shot - cooked greengage jam in a saucepan with a wooden spoon resting on top
  • Stir before decanting into the prepared jars. Cover each jar with a circle of wax paper and secure the lid tightly. Invert the jars then leave to cool completely before labelling
Two freshly filled jars of greengage jam ready to be sealed.
Two jars of fruit conserve freshly filled and covered with wax discs
Two upturned jars of fruit conserve on a wooden board.

Can I Double this Recipe?

The ingredients listed produce 2 jars of approximately 340g each, so it is a small batch recipe.

However, you can easily scale up the base recipe to make 4, 6 or more jars of jam. Just increase all ingredients by the same proportions (double, triple etc) each time.

A tin caddy holding a jar of greengage jam and fresh greengages

Recipe FAQs

Do I have to Use Sterilised Jars?

If you are intending on storing the jam for any length of time then it is imperative to use sterilised jars to reduce the risk of mold forming over time.

If, however, you know that the entire batch of this greengage jam is destined to be used within 2-3 weeks, it is fine to store in any sealable container, provided you then store it in the fridge. I highly recommend letting the jam come to room temperature before serving to allow the full flavour to shine.

Can I leave out the spices?

The spices can by all means be left out, turning this into a straight greengage jam recipe.

In this case, there is no need to take the cooked fruit off the heat to infuse for 30 minutes. Once the fruit has softened in the pan, go straight to the stage of raising the cooking temperature and boiling to setting point.

Don’t forget to prepare the sterilised jars at a suitable point though. Getting this stage done at the start of the jam making process is no bad thing.

Is this Vegan?

I have included a small knob of butter in this recipe for greengage jam. However, it can easily be left out to suit a vegan diet.

Ways to Eat this jam

Hands down, my favourite way to eat this spiced greengage jam is on toast.

Toast stacked on a wooden board. One slice is spread with greengage jam

It can, however, be used to top all manor of goodies such as:

  • English muffins
  • Croissants
  • Brioche
  • Scones

Alternatively, use it to whip up an unusual cocktail (trying this ASAP) or use to fill a Gâteau Breton.

Wait, you haven’t come across Gâteau Breton before? It’s a very rich & buttery delicacy made using egg yolks and butter that has a jammy centre. It’s well worth considering as a dessert option.

More Jam, Preserve & Spread Recipes

  • Small Batch Amaretto Cherry Jam
  • Small Batch Vanilla Lemon Curd
  • Caramel Apple Spread
  • Spiced Peach Jam
  • Chocolate Caramel Spread

Recipe

Spiced Greengage Jam - Featured Image-6806

Spiced Greengage Jam

Jane Saunders
Make the most of the greengage season by making a batch of spiced greengage jam. Dipping into a jar of this sweetly spiced conserve will be a wonderful treat as the cooler days of autumn set it.
Makes 2 x 340g Jars (approx 34 servings of 20g)
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment, Jam, Preserving
Cuisine: British, English
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 34 20g servings
Calories: 59kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 500 g/ 17 ½ oz Greengages
  • 450 g/ 16 oz Granulated sugar
  • 125 ml/ ½ cup Water
  • 1 Cinnamon stick 10cm
  • 1 Star anise
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
  • 5 g Ginger Approx 3 x 1mm thick slices
  • 2 Green cardamom pods
  • 1 Vanilla pod

Instructions

  • Halve the greengages, remove the stones and chop roughly – I chopped each half into 4 or 6 pieces, but you can leave chunkier if you would like larger pieces in your jam
  • Put the fruit into a large saucepan along with the sugar and water. Remember that jam will bubble and boil as it cooks, so it is better to choose a pan where the contents leave plenty of room for this to occur without the risk of it boiling over
  • Press down firmly on the cardamom pods using the back of a blunt knife until they crack open. Scoop the pods and seeds into the pan
  • Slit the vanilla pod lengthways with a sgharpknife. Scrape the seeds into the saucepan then drop in the pod
  • Add the cinnamon, star anise, ginger and nutmeg to the pan
  • Stir everything together, then cook over a gentle heat for around 20 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit is soft
  • Take off the heat and leave the jam to infuse for 30 minutes
  • Remove all of the spices – count them out to ensure none are left behind
  • Optional step: use a stick blender to perform 3 x 1second pulses of the jam. This breaks some of the fruit pieces down and helps create lovely greengage flavour in each spoonful, whilst still leaving plenty of fruity chunks behind
  • Prepare 2 sterilised jam jars: wash in soapy water, rinse and then put into an oven heated to 140C/ 284F for 15 minutes
  • While the jars are sterilising, cook the jam over a medium-high heat, stirrringfrequently to avoid burning, until it reaches 105C/ 221F on a digital food thermometer
  • Once this temperture has been reached turn off the heat, stir the butter through the jam and leave to cool for 10 minutes
  • Stir before decanting into the prepared jars. Cover each jar with a circle of wax paper and secure the lid tightly. Invert the jars then leave to cool completely before labelling

Nutrition Per Serving (Approximate)

Calories:59kcal | Carbohydrates:15g | Protein:1g | Fat:1g | Saturated Fat:1g | Sodium:1mg | Potassium:24mg | Fiber:1g | Sugar:15g | Vitamin A:51IU | Vitamin C:1mg | Calcium:2mg | Iron:1mg
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Reader Interactions

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  1. Tracy

    January 11, 2022 at 6:01 pm

    5 stars
    This jam is delicious! I’ve had rave reviews from everyone who has tried it. Thank you! I will definitely be making this again.

    Reply
  2. Tracy

    September 07, 2021 at 9:04 am

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe for the first time last night. I used ground ginger instead of fresh, (1/4 teaspoon). It worked so well and is absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making it again – I’m lucky enough to have a greengage tree in my garden. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      September 07, 2021 at 10:26 am

      Ah, thanks so much for the feedback and lucky you having greengages in good supply.

      Reply
  3. sarah Lewkowicz

    August 13, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    This is a great post ..wish I could find greengage plums here. I tried to grow them and no luck with the little tree. I will try this recipe with purple plums! I love the image with the jar at the end. Beautiful

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      August 14, 2020 at 10:14 am

      Ah Sarah, thankyou. Growing your own is dedication – I hope you manage to find some. I definitely dropped lucky with a friend giving me a large pile – there were none in the supermarket this week.

      Reply
  4. Jessica

    August 12, 2020 at 5:45 pm

    5 stars
    I hadn’t heard of greengages before, but I love trying new ingredients. I found through a local farmer and made this jam. It is so good! We’ve used on PB&J sandwiches and for morning toast.

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      August 13, 2020 at 7:05 am

      Ah – not thought of pairing it with PB but it sounds great. Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback.

      Reply
  5. wilhelmina

    August 10, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    Oh wow! This jam is incredible! It will make wonderful gifts for the holidays.

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      August 12, 2020 at 6:53 pm

      Great idea. I’ve already gifted a jar to the friend who supplied the greengages in the images.

      Reply

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