Last week I made 2 batches damson plum preserves, 3 days apart, from damson tree in my yard. Fruit was beginning to fall. (First fruit from this tree):
1. Equal volumes stoned fruit and sugar steeped for 24 hours in fridge.
2. Cook for ~35 minutes -- passed spoon test.

While it jelled beautifully, THE SKINS ARE TOUGH AS LEATHER! What did I do wrong?

Hi Carol,

Try dipping the plums into boiling water for a few minutes until they're easy to peel. Alternatively, dipping in the boiling water will help tenderize the peels if you decide to leave them on.

Use filtered or bottled water; municipal water sometimes has strange chemicals in it that react in unexpected ways.

-- CM