The last
plums from our summerhouse garden are now preserved.
I made vanilla
plums – easy and tasty – serve on ice cream, in a cake, with rice pudding or
maybe cheese.
2 kg (4
pounds) plums
1 vanilla
pod
750 g (4
cups) sugar (raw or white and brown 50:50)
3 TBSP rum
or whisky
Wash the
plums, cut them in halves and remove the stones.
Slice the
vanilla pod open and scrape out the beans. Mash them together with the sugars.
Layer plums,
vanilla sugar and the vanilla pod cut in 4 pieces, in a big pot and let them
sit at room temperature for 6-8 hours – to the sugar is (almost) melted.
Put the pot
over the heat and bring it slowly to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the
plums simmer in the sugar for about 15 minutes – try NOT to stir – just shake
the pot from time to time.
Remove any
foam and fill plums and syrup into prepared jars swirled with rum or whisky.
Put a piece of vanilla pod in each and close the lids tight.
