We are currently in the middle of plum season which runs from May to October. These sweet and tangy fruits tempt us with their dark skin and succulent flesh. Sadly, these beauties turn from tender and succulent to mushy and sad in a short time. Other than throwing out slightly past their prime plums, there is something that can be done to extend the enjoyment of these gems.
A traditional way of preserving fruit is to make a 'butter'. Regardless of the name there is no dairy in fruit butter. The name refers to the consistency of the spread. Slowly cooking most of the water from the fruit concentrates the fruit's sugars and flavors. The concentrated sugar helps to increase the life of the fruit allowing it to be enjoyed well past the life of the whole fruit itself.
One use for plum butter is a sweet and savory bacon and plum butter sandwich. Lightly toast and butter 2 slices of pumpernickel bread. Spread the plum butter on one slice and add a single layer of lightly crispy bacon. The salt of the bacon and the sugar of the plum butter compliment each other in this combination. Enjoy as a snack by itself or serve with a small salad as a light lunch.
Saffron-Infused Plum Butter
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds plums
- 1/2-cup orange juice
- 1/2-cup water
- 1/2-cup sugar (more or less to taste)
- Pinch saffron threads
Directions:
In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the plums until the skin cracks or for 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the plums to a bowl of ice-cold water.
Peel, pit and roughly chop the plums into a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of orange juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
In a separate saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil and dissolve the sugar in the water. Remove from the heat and add the saffron threads to the water to bloom. The saffron can overpower the plums if too much is added, so err on the light side.
Stir the water into the plums and continue reducing. The plum butter will thicken upon cooling so pull the pan from the heat at a looser consistency than what you want your butter to be. Let the butter cool, move to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Yields approximately 1 cup.
Comments
I never would have thought to combine plum butter with bacon, but it's now something I cannot wait to try!
Sounds really good : )
I love plums. I love bacon.
this sounds like a win-win recipe!
thanks!
plum butter and bacon sandwiches..plum butter and bacon on English muffins! it's gonna be a fattening weekend...
I've made plenty of other fruit butters...but never plum. I'm looking forward to trying this.
Plum butter, loved it as a kid just never had it with bacon, will give this a try.
This sounds yummy!! I'm going to try this with turkey bacon :)
hmm... i wonder if i could apply this recipie to my overabundant fig tree?...
OK, this sounds all kinds of luscious. More recipes like this, please.
I'm with Dria..I routinely make all different kinds of fruit butters...but have never tried plum butter...and yum..is there anything that cannot be made better with bacon?
So I just made the plum butter while I was making pork chops for dinner..decided I didn't wanna wait till it cooled down and put a tablespoon full on my dinner plate...YUM! OMG is that good stuff.
The plums will peel easier if before you put them in the pot of boiling water you cut an "X" in the top of them. @Martine fig butter is made pretty much the same way except you use port wine or apple juice instead of the orange juice, depending on your personal tastes. Now I want some fig butter! :) almost can't wait for more recipes to try! Thanks!
WOW! I have GOT to try this, is sounds wonderful!
Sounds plum delicious - thanks for the great recipe! Looking forward to your future articles.
This sounds great!
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