Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

Preserved Plums

Preserved Plums is a traditional American recipe, based on Miss Leslie's recipe of 1832, for a classic method of preserving plums by halving and boiling in sugar syrup and bottling before using as preserved fruit or sweetmeats. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic American version of: Preserved Plums.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

40 minutes

Total Time:

60 minutes

Makes:

3 jars

Rating:

Tags : USA Recipes

This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Preserved Plums that's derived from, Miss Leslie of Philadelphia's 1832 volume, Seventy-five receipts for pastry, cakes and sweetmeats. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.

Original Recipe

PRESERVED PLUMS.

Cut your plums in half, (they must not be quite ripe,) and take out the stones. Weigh the plums and allow a pound of loaf-sugar to a pound of fruit.

Crack the stones, take out the kernels and break them in pieces. Boil the plums and kernels very slowly for about fifteen minutes, in as little water as possible. Then spread them on a large dish to cool, and strain the liquor.

Next day make your syrup. Melt the sugar in as little water as will suffice to dissolve it, (about half a pint of water to a pound of sugar) and boil it a few minutes, skimming it till quite clear. Then put in your plums with the liquor, and boil them fifteen minutes. Put them in jars, pour the juice over them warm, and tie them up, when cold, with brandy paper. [Footnote: Plums for common use, are very good done in molasses. Put your plums into an earthen vessel that holds a gallon, having first slit each plum with a knife. To three quarts of plums put a pint of molasses. Cover them and set them on hot coals in the chimney corner. Let them stew for twelve hours or more, occasionally stirring them, and renewing the coals. Next day put them up in jars. Done in this manner they will keep till the next spring.]

Syrups may be improved in clearness, by adding to the dissolved sugar and water, some white of egg very well beaten, allowing the white of one egg to each pound of sugar. Boil it very hard, and skim it well, that it may be quite clear before you put in your fruit.

Modern Redaction

Today we would term these 'Preserved Plums' and use them as a store-cupboard staple for making pies or as a base for another dish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, however, these would have been classed amongst the range of foods known as sweetmeats (including jellies [clear jams, mixes of nuts and fruit bound with sugar, sugarplums and candied fruit).

Typically these would have been cut into balls or smaller portions, placed in special glass-shaped jars with lids, drizzled with a little of the preserving syrup and served as a sweet dish at the end of a meal. It should be noted that the 'meat' in 'sweetmeat' represents the flesh or 'meat' of the fruit itself.

Ingredients:

1kg plums (damsons would be typical, but any ripe, well-flavoured plum will do)
200ml water
500g sugar per 500g plums

Method:

Wash the plums, halve them and remove the stones then weigh the plums. Crack the stones, take out the kernels and break these into pieces.

Place the plum halves and broken kernels in a pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Gently bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the plums are just tender.

Remove the plums and set aside to cool. Pass the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double layer of muslin or cheesecloth.

When the plums are cold add sugar equal to the original weight of plums to the pan. Pour over 250ml water per 500g of sugar and heat gently to dissolve. Stir in the reserved plum juice then bring to a boil. Add the plum halves and cover with a lid. Boil gently for 20 minutes then remove the plum halves with a slotted spoon and place in a jar that's been cleaned, sterilized, and warmed in an oven. Pour over the syrup to cover the fruit then seal the jar and set aside to cool.

Once cold, label the jar and store in a cool, dark, cupboard.

Find more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here.