“What is more mortifying than to feel that you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?”
~ Logan Pearsall Smith
There is something deeply comforting about a bowl of warm sweet fruit, and stewed fruit is so simple that it should definitely be a go-to recipe in every household.
I love this easy recipe, and it is versatile enough to use with a whole range of different fruits including stone fruit, berries, apples, pears, rhubarb and pineapples. Stewed fruits can be eaten on their own or with something creamy as a dessert. They can be spooned over breakfast cereal or made into fruit crumbles, and they are even good served as a side with roasted meat.
Stewed plums have that tart-sweet flavour that I adore. If you prefer a very sweet stewed fruit add more sugar to your recipe. But I advise a light hand to start with, and taste as you go. I will sometimes omit sugar altogether if the fruit is ripe and sweet to start.
The stewed fruit will keep in the fridge for one week, and can also be frozen.
Ingredients:
500g of plums, 2 tablespoons of sugar or your favourite sugar substitute, a squeeze of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water (Adjust the sugar to your own taste. If the fruit is very ripe and sweet you may need less. If it is quite tart you may prefer more.)
Method:
Wash the plums and drain them. Using a sharp knife cut the plums in half, twist to separate, remove stones, and then slice into smaller pieces.
Put plums into a saucepan, and add the sugar, water and lemon juice. Don’t worry that it isn’t much water. The fruit will release their own juices as they heat.
Place pan over medium heat, and stir occasionally, cooking until fruit is soft. This will take between five and fifteen minutes depending on how ripe the fruit is, and how small the pieces are. Taste the syrup carefully (it will be hot) and adjust the amount of sugar if necessary.
When the fruit is done, it will be soft and luscious. I love how the plum skins stain everything a pretty ruby colour.
Ladle the fruit into bowls with a little of the syrup. Enjoy on its own or serve with a splodge of cream, yoghurt or ice-cream for a simple and tasty warm dessert. Enjoy!
Exactly like my Mum used to do it when I was a kid. Delicious summer dessert served icy cold with cold custard or blanc mange. The combination of tart and sweet is divine.
This made me think of my Nan who would do this
Looks good but not tasted it yet.
Fantastic! Thank you so much :)))
Glad you liked it, John! All the best 🙂
Fabulous recipe.
Oh… so good. I added a bit of cinnamon and cut down the sugar a little bit since my plums were very ripe. Sweet, tart and beautiful. Thanks for the recipe!
i love hot stewed plums but when i add cream it curdles – what am i doing wrong?
Michael, did you add the cream to the individual serving bowl after the fruit was cooked? It could be two things. If the fruit is acidic it can make the cream curdle, or if the liquid is very hot it can cook the proteins in the cream, making lumps like custard. Try cooling your fruit slightly first, or slightly warm your cream. That should help.
can i leave the seed in or what’s the secret to get them out
Gary, it depends on the plum variety. If it is a cling-stone type it is hard to get the stones out, but with a freestone variety the fruit will twist open easy after you cut around the fruit and the stone will pop out with a minimum of effort.
When I cook cling-stone fruit I leave the seeds in and when I eat the fruit later I just spit the stone out onto my spoon and leave it to one side. If I was making it for guests or serving to small children I’d fish out the stones after it was cooked though, using a slotted spoon.
I am currently stewing blood plums to your recipe and they look great. Will be into them soon.Regards Bob Robertson.
Thanks for the recipe – we’re having a bumper year for plums/ 🙂
Stewed some plums this morning, no sugar, just a tiny pinch of cinnamon….delicious
Can I mix plums and rhubarb together
I think that would be a magical combination.
Thanks. Looks great. And simple.
Do you know if its possible to can these ? Just fill the jars and seal in a canning bath ?
Oh how I miss living on a farm! I used to stew bucket loads of prunes and freeze them. Mother-in-law was horrified I didn’t put any sugar in them… I must be sweeter than her lol. Love reading your recipes, keep them coming.
Reminds me of my Mom stewing prunes…and would be so good! …