At the turn of the 19th century there were over 2 thousand house orchards in the lower Vistula. Fruit was used for their own purposes, and their surplus was taken to a town for sale. The local ecotype of purple plum was of exceptional significance. It was characterized by immunity to harmful climatic influences, pests and easy to separate the pulp from the stone.

Women prepared huge, copper pans with wooden spoons, set the fire and poured drilled fruit into the pans. The fruit was simmered usually without sugar for as many as three days and it was extremely tasty. The ready product was placed in stone pans and heated in bread ovens. After a set crust had been formed on the jam surface, the pans were taken out and stored in cool basements. Jams prepared and stored in such a way could be used for consumption even after 2-3 years.

Other purple plums of a local variety had to be poured into pans with stones as their drilling was far too time consuming. Fruit, which was on the trees until the first frosts and had a slightly wrinkled skin, was picked. After being fried, jam was pressed through special drainers which separated the stones, giving the product a bitter, original taste. On the 15th March 2006, Lower Vistula Valley Plum Jam was entered in the category of nuts, seeds, grains, vegetables and fruits in the List of Traditional Products prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Plum_Jam_from_the_Lower_Vistula_Valley.pdf