Spiced Plums
Recipe from Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom
© 2023 Olson Food Concepts Inc. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. All rights reserved.
I make big batches of these cooked plums when Italian or German prune plums are in season, but any type of plum will work. I’ve nicknamed these “breakfast plums” because I love spooning a few and the spiced syrup over my oatmeal on cold mornings.
Notes: Store spiced plums in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Tip: Red or black plums break down more when cooking and have more water in them than prune plums. You may need to cook them for an additional 15 minutes to thicken the mixture.
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) Italian prune plums, or red or black plums
- ½ cup (125 mL) water
- 1 orange
- 1 lemon
- 3 whole star anise
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Prep and simmer the plums. Wash the plums and cut them in half, removing the pits. If the plums are large, cut the halves into quarters or sixths and place them in a saucepan. Add the water. Cut the orange and lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the pot and drop in the halves. Add the star anise, cinnamon, cloves and allspice and bring to a full simmer, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 2
Add the sugar. Once the plums reach a full simmer, add the sugar and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the plums are tender yet still hold their shape. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove the citrus halves and star anise before packing the plums into a jar.
