Chinese style plum Sauce

Angela as requested and as promised, I have looked out the recipe for this very useful sauce for the pantry shelf.  I have had trouble laying my hands on the relevant book due to all the upheaval in the front room but now here is the recipe that I have used and like and which is very useful.  It is a recipe by Thane Prince from her cookbook Jams and Chutneys ISBN: 978-1-4053-2954-5 published by Dorling Kindersley.  It is a favourite of mine and has lots of lovely recipes.  A book that is in continual use.  

The only thing I do is after the preserve is made for the purpose of longer keeping I water bottle sterilise the jars to extract any air bring up to temperature and then process for about 15 minutes then leave to cool.  Technically there may not be a need for this but I am happier preparing long term preserves this way on and then after they are opened I keep any residue (if any left over in the fridge).

Like when bottling fruit the lid should have gone hard and should not depress at all. You can use smaller or medium sized jars and do not have to put into bottles.  If there are more of you to feed on a regular basis in your household use a larger jar.  If just the two of you make in smaller jars.  That way round you should get the amount that will suit you without any wastage.

I tend to use the purple plums as I love their colour.  This sauce is particularly useful on a home prepared and cooked rack of ribs.  I mix in some of this sauce with some elderberry jelly and it gives a lovely sweet and sour sauce the elderberry jelly seems to lend some depth to the flavour.

To quote Thane Prince:

"This plum sauce is most often served with crispy duck, but it could be used to also add a zing to many stir-fries.  Away from the Chinese kitchen I like to serve it with cold meats and cheeses.  I also use it as a baste for pork joints or chops towards the end of cooking, to give them extra flavour.  Plums of any colour may be used making this recipe handy if you have a glut of fruit".

Makes about 1 litre

Takes approximately 90 minutes

Keeps for about a year.

Ingredients:

2kg/4 1/2lb ripe plums

750g/1lb 10 oz white onions chopped

cloves from 1 to 2 whole heads of garlic chopped

20cm/8 inch piece of fresh root ginger, about 400g/25oz peeled and chopped.

250ml light soy sauce

1 litre/ 1 3/4 pints rice wine vinegar

1kg/ 2 1/4lb light muscovado sugar

6 star anise finely ground

Method:

1.Cut the plums in half and remove the stones this will make sieving easier later on.  Place all ingredients apart from the sugar and star anise in a large preserving/maslin pan.  Bring the contents up to a boil, cover and then simmer for 20 minutes or until the ingredients are very soft.

2.  Pass the mixture through a mouli or a coarse sieve and return to the cleaned pan.

3.  Add the sugar and star anise and bring back to the boil stirring frequently to ensure that the sugar dissolves.  Simmer the mixture for 30 to 60 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy.

4.  Pot the plum sauce into hot sterilised bottles and seal with a vinegar proof lid and label.

Variation:

If you would like a more fiery sauce add 4 to 6 chillies deseeded if preferred then chopped with the vegetables at the start of cooking".

It is well worth making, and I have managed to keep it over a year when I have made it in the past.  It is a sweet sauce but lovely.  We like it anyway.

One thing I am very particular about is that I water sterilise the bottles before use and then add the sauce, and then water bath process whether using jars or bottles.  If using bottles I use a baby steriliser as it is an ideal size for sauce bottles or Hex bottles.  You just bring the steriliser with the bottles insitu up to boil and then once boil is achieved time for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.  You can take the bottles out with tongs if you have another batch to process but let the water cool a little before putting on again.  Alternatively you can leave the bottles in the baby steriliser to go completely cold and then remove them and store on the pantry shelf.

I am also obsessive about using new lids and caps on jars and bottles (or seals).  I never re-use them.  Once used they are binned.  This seems to preserve the integrity of the preserve and I have had very few fails on the preserve part with it going mouldy or off.  

When it comes to home made preserves if you are not happy with using a preserve because it is bubbling or has gone mouldy.  Do not under any circumstances use it.  Use your eyes and listen to your inner voice and common sense.  If it says not to use - err on the side of caution and do not.

I hope this helps, and will give you a valuable pantry shelf sauce for use all year round (if you make enough of it).  My OH particularly as I have said before loves it with home prepared pork ribs/baby rack of ribs.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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