Plum Sauce

Tisme's Note:

A great all purpose sauce that keeps for up to 3 months or more.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 litres

• 1 ½ kg plums , halved
• 175 g onions , sliced
• 1 ½ teaspoons cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 ¼ cups brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 cups white wine vinegar
• 1 hot chili pepper , seeded and chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Stone plums, then crack half the stones* and tie them in a piece of muslin. Tie spices in another piece of muslin. Put muslin bags, plums, sugar, salt, ginger, vinegar and chilli (if using) into a large non-reactive pot and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Cook steadily for 20 minutes until plums have collapsed. Remove muslin bags and press all juices back into sauce.
2. Pass sauce through the coarse disc of a food mill and return to rinsed-out pan. Boil steadily for a few minutes until sauce is as thick as you would like it. For a super-smooth sauce use a blender. Remember to only place a small quantity in the flask at a time as the steam will force the lid off and you can burn yourself. (Remember, too, that the sauce will thicken further when it is cold and it ought to be pourable.) Pour into hot, sterilised bottles or jars, seal and label. Leave for at least a week before using.
3. * To crack plum stones, place them in a teatowel and give them a moderately hard whack with a meat mallet. Alternatively, use a hammer but be gentle lest the result is fragments, rather than pieces.

Reviews

[Sydney Mike]

Bought several large containers of fresh plums at Costco about 10 days ago & this was one of several recipes in which I used them! ABSOLUTELY GREAT SAUCE here, even if I did leave out the last ingredient, which was optional anyway! This sauce gives chicken breasts & wonderful boost in flavor, & I also liked it as a dip for fries, both russet & sweet potato! Definitely a keeper of a recipe! [Made & reviewed in Make My Recipe tag]