Overloaded with Plums?
It’s been a bumper year for fruit trees, and I’ve been lucky enough to reap the rewards! Friends have generously shared their plums with me, and I’ve been busy turning them into all sorts of delicious preserves: tangy plum sauce, spiced plum pickle, refreshing plum shrub, and rich plum cheese. I even managed a crumble or two.
I do wish I had more time to make even more before the season slips away—I feel like I was a bit slow to get started with the plums this year. But even so, there’s been plenty of sweet, tart, and spiced plum goodness to enjoy. Here’s a round-up of the recipes I’ve cooked up this season.
Damson cheese - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
2kg damsons (whole) no stoning required ;-)
Around 750g granulated sugar
Damsons in a large pan with a couple of tablespoons of water.
Simmer until the fruit is complete soft. Allow to cool slightly. Then sieve to give you a lovely puree and no stones.
Measure the puree, and for every 500ml puree add 350g sugar.
Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce until it’s a really thick puree. Pour in to a tub, or a jam jar.
*if you pour in to a tub, lightly oil it, and then it should come out easily to create little cubes of the delight. I forgot to do this the first time! Or in a jam jar just dig in with a spoon.
“Serve in slices with bread and cheese, or, if you fancy, cut into cubes, dust lightly with granulated sugar and serve as a petit four.”
Here is the link for more about it. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/07/damson-recipes-hugh-fearnley-whittingstall
Plum Pickle
Oh boy… i wasn’t really sure about this… but it’s pretty blooming delicious. Great with a grazing board of cheese and meats.
I found this recipe from a book I am loving called FERMENT by KENJI MORIMOTO. It’s a library book at the moment, but i think it might be a good one to get as a keeper!
250g plums - pitted and cut in to eigths
50g sugar
180g apple cider vinegar
120 ml water
1/2 tbsp salt
2 x star anise
1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
Put the fruit in the jars (500ml size is good).
Make the brine : sugar, vinegar, water, salt and aromatics in to pan on a low heat to a simmer. Immediately remove from heat allowing for sugar to dissolve and aromatics to infuse.
pour over the fruit in the jars - make sure they are complete covered.
keep at room temperature for 24 horus, then time to keep in the fridge.
Will keep indefinitely.
Plum Shrub
A recipe from a friend. Im drinking it as I write.
A fruity infused tang served like a cordial. Sounds strange, but it really is delish! its a bit like a kombucha with the live vinegar in it.
250ml vinegar (I like to use apple cider vinegar with the mother)
250g sugar
500g plums (stones out and halved)
Combine the sugar and vinegar, bring to a simmer and turn off the heat - mix well so the sugar is mixed in with the vinegar.
Mix in the plums and leave covered for 3 - 14 days, giving it a little daily stir and say hello too!
Then strain, pour in to a sterile jar and keep in the fridge. Use like a cordial.
The left over fruit is lip-smacking with some yoghurt or ice-cream.
*** you can pretty much swap the plums for different fruit - blackberry and strawberry is also a very good combo. Maybe even add a bit of spice.
Plum Sauce
Great served with chicken, duck, pork, or add to a quick vegetable stir fry. Serve with spring rolls or the dim sum dumplings made in our cooking class.
Ingredients
500g Plums (with stones)
100ml cider vinegar
125g caster sugar
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, (smashed with the back of a spoon/hand)
2 x star anise
150g caster sugar
1 small red onion, cut in half
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (fresh or dried)
METHOD
Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil and simmer until the plums are softened and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Place it through a fine sieve to remove the skins, stones, and spices.
Place in a sterile jar and store in the fridge.
Enjoy ! Get creative with how and when you use it. Let me know how you get on!
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