If you need something to do with a bumper crop of plums from a backyard plum tree, plum butter is the answer.
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What Is Plum Butter?
Plum butter is a concentrated plum spread made by cooking plums down to a spreadable paste. Plum butter is a great way to use extra plums, since the homemade recipe converts pounds of plums into a few pints of spread after hours of reduction on the stovetop.
3 Ways to Use Plum Butter
Plum butter is a versatile spread that you can add to many types of dessert, including:
- 1. Hamantaschen: These triangular cookies, traditionally eaten at Purim, can be stuffed with almost anything, but plum butter is a classic.
- 2. Germknödel: Germknödel are plum butter-filled dessert dumplings (knödel) popular in German and Austrian cuisine.
- 3. Buchteln: Although buchteln can be plain, plum butter is the traditional filling for these fluffy rolls from the Czech Republic.
Homemade Plum Butter Recipe
makes
2 cupsprep time
15 mintotal time
2 hr 45 mincook time
2 hr 30 minIngredients
- 1
In a large, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan or other wide, shallow pan over high heat, combine plums, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla bean seeds with enough water to just cover.
- 2
Wrap the spices (including the vanilla bean pod) in a piece of cheesecloth and add to the plum mixture. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a lively simmer. Simmer until the plums are very soft, about 30 minutes.
- 3
Remove spice sachet and pass fruit through a food mill into a bowl. (Alternatively, puree the plums using an immersion blender or food processor.)
- 4
Return plum puree to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture has reduced significantly and is very thick and glossy, about 2 hours.
- 5
To test doneness, remove a spoonful of plum butter and let rest at room temperature, away from the steam, for 2 minutes. If the butter remains mounded on the spoon, it’s ready. Alternatively, spoon a little plum butter onto a chilled plate. If liquid runs off the fruit butter, it needs more time.
- 6
When fruit butter has reached the desired consistency, season with a pinch of salt. Spoon the finished butter into glass jars and let cool to room temperature. Fruit butter will keep, refrigerated, about 3 weeks.
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