Ah, now I KNOW it's autumn.
Every year we make plum sauce in my family.
The vinegar smell permeates throughout the house.
The bottles stashed away in larders and cupboards for the year ahead.
The best 'brown' sauce you can get (in my opinion).
The plums are in season right now, and if you have plum trees, you'll probably have a glut of them you're not sure what to do with ... here's the answer!
This is an old family recipe. The measurements are imperial ... one day I'll get round to doing a conversion and add it here but in the meantime you'll have to do your own I'm afraid!
But DO make it - like most pickles and chutneys it's time you need, not cooking ability (you just need chopping ability) ... oh and a blender or food processor (or willingness to stand over a sieve for a while).
Let's do it!
I LOVE this sauce and in all honesty, I haven't met someone yet who doesn't like it.
You'll need:
6lb plums
3 pints malt vinegar (yup the cheap brown stuff)
2 lbs dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp mace (I didn't have any so used ground nutmeg)
6 tsp salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground ginger
6 nice fat cloves of garlic (peeled and squashed - no need to chop)
Halve (or quarter or whatever it takes to remove the stones) and de-stone the plums - and get all the ingredients ready.
Put into an enormous saucepan or preserving pan with all the rest of the ingredients.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 - 2.5 hours (check it after 2 hours - I tend to stop at 2.25).
It will reduce a lot - keep stirring it so it doesn't stick.
Cool a little and then liquidise in a blender, food processor or with a sieve.
When cool put into a jug to pour into jars or bottles.
It keeps for AGES ... just in the larder or in a cupboard (just keep it in the dark not in direct sunlight).
I'm excited to share this one - it's been one we've kept in the family for years and years but it feels right to share so I hope you make it and love it too.
