Plums are not only delicious but also packed with dietary and nutritional benefits. With carbohydrates making up 9-14 percent of their composition, they serve as a significant source of energy. The pectin content (ranging from 0.6 to 1.8 percent) helps eliminate toxins, including radionuclides, from the body. Plums are also rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and phosphorus, as well as trace elements like iron, manganese, and cobalt. They provide a variety of vitamins, including C, P, A, B1, B2, B6, B9, and E. Plum juice and compote made from prunes can help regulate stomach peristalsis. When plums are in season, it’s essential to enjoy them fresh and regularly.
Here are a few recipes for preserving plums for the winter.
When making plum juice, it’s best to include the pulp; otherwise, you lose many valuable nutrients, including carotene and insoluble pectin.
First method for making juice.
Remove the pits from ripe, soft plums. For every kilogram of fruit, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of boiled water and heat the mixture while stirring continuously until it reaches 70-80°C (158-176°F). Then, remove it from the heat and let it sit for 10-20 minutes (until the fruit is fully softened) before straining it through a sieve or using a mechanical juicer. The resulting juice-puree can be enjoyed as a natural product with sugar or diluted with a 25% sugar syrup (3:2). You can also use it to make jelly, marmalade, or fruit leather.
If you want to preserve juice for the winter, it’s better to can a neutral juice. To do this, heat the juice-puree almost to boiling (82-85°C or 180-185°F), then immediately pour it into sterilized jars (1.0-3.0 liters) and seal with metal lids. For 0.5-liter jars, cover them with something warm for 2-3 hours.
Second method.
Place the prepared and pitted plums in the basket of a steam juicer (with water already boiling in the bottom pot). Heat the juicer until the fruit becomes soft. Then, mix the juice that flows out through the juicer’s tube with the fruit mass and strain it. Proceed as in the previous method.
Plum marmalade.
Pour the resulting juice-puree into an enameled basin and evaporate it in a steam cabinet at moderate temperature until it reduces by half. Add granulated sugar in a 1:1 ratio and keep it in the oven until a thick ball of marmalade placed on a cold plate or in cold water begins to spread. Hot marmalade is then poured into glass jars and sealed immediately with metal lids. If you don’t have lids, leave the jars open until the marmalade cools completely, then cover them with clean paper or cellophane (but not plastic wrap) and tie with string. Store in a cool, dry place.
Plum jelly is made from plum puree. For every liter of puree, add one cup of sugar and cook over high heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously. Pour the jelly into cold molds, which should be kept in cold water. To enhance the aroma, you can add dried lemon, tangerine, or orange zest, or a similar essence or vanilla sugar during boiling.
Jelly-confiture.
In a pot, layer halved plums and peeled apple wedges, sprinkling sugar between the layers, and cover with parchment paper. Use 2 kg of plums, 1 kg of apples, and 1.5 kg of sugar.
Preparing plums for jam and marmalade.
Place pitted plums in an enameled or aluminum basin and cook them, occasionally opening the lid. Transfer them to an enameled bowl and reduce in the oven by half, then add 1-1.5 kg of sugar and cook until thickened to a marmalade consistency. For jam, use 3-3.5 kg of sugar for every jar of plum mass and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stewed plums.
Prick plums of uniform size and color, cover them with a 50% sugar syrup (1:1 ratio), and let them sit for 12 hours. Afterward, drain the syrup, layer the plums with sugar in 0.5-liter jars. You can place a bay leaf at the bottom beforehand.
Dried plums.
Wash ripe plums, let them drain, then spread them on a baking sheet lined with paper and dry them in the oven or under the sun. While drying, mist them with water to give them a shine. If drying in the oven, first dry them at 45-50°C (113-122°F), then increase the temperature to 70-75°C (158-167°F). Store the dried fruit in cellophane or paper bags. You can also sprinkle them with granulated sugar and keep them in a sealed jar.