Damson Plum Jam

I made Damson Plum Jam last night from some plums I bought at the farmer's market last weekend.  According to the Pilsbury Family Cookbook (1979) you can only keep plums in the refrigerator for 3 to 5o days, so I figured I should do something with them.  I didn't have quite 5 cups as the recipe called for in the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving (2009), so I chopped up a jonagold apple, which made a heaping 1 cup.  Here's the recipe as I made it:
4 cups chopped Damson plums
1 cup chopped apple
3/4 cup water
3 cups sugar
Combine all in a large saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil.  Boil until setting stage is reached.  (For me, this was when it started splattering against the walls, since my lovely thermometer us useless).  Remove from heat, and pour into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space at top.  Screw on two-piece lids.  Process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.  Remove from water and let stand.

Applesauce

My favorite time of year is when a telltale nip in the air signals the Maples to turn crimson and gold; leaves crunch beneath my feet as the wind and frost bring them falling to the path; and I walk in the evening mists, glad I decided to wear my jacket, so I can stuff my chilly fingers in my pockets.  It is this time of year that I associate with apple picking time at the farm in Minnesota - a time I have regretfully missed out on since I left for Kansas several years ago.  This year, I decided to dust off and polish up an old family tradition in preserving the Autumnal harvest.  I went to the local farmers market to find my beloved apples.  I bought a 4 pound bag of jonagolds, and a 3 pound bag of jonathans.  I peeled and pared every one with a small paring knife - no fancy gadgets in sight. Peeling apples is a peaceful task, and it brought to mind the long history of many others who have preserved the harvest before me.
I still had a few apples left over by the time I filled my 5-quart Dutch oven with sliced apples.  I added a small amount of water, and heated it all, covered, over medium-high heat.  I stirred them occasionally until they were soft, and then pushed the softened apples through an antique sieve, made for the task.  After adding a 1/2 cup of sugar, I heated the mixture again, and then put it in sterilized canning jars, covering them with new two-piece lids.  I lined a large soup kettle with washcloths, and put my four pint jars into it, surrounding them with more washcloths to prevent them from banging together.  I poured in enough hot water until it just covered the jars, and then boiled them for 20 minutes.  The jars didn't take long to seal after I pulled them out of the water.  I just love watching them seal; and the sense of accomplishment one feels afterwards makes me think that this is a tradition worth repeating.