How do you make Plum butter?

Answer 1

Freeze several small plates to use for testing butter. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Add pod and stir in remaining ingredients. Slowly bring to a rolling boil over moderate heat (this will take about 15 minutes), stirring frequently. Boil, uncovered, stirring frequently, until plums are tender, about 5 minutes. Discard pod. Purée plums with liquid in batches in food mill set over a bowl. Transfer purée to pot and simmer over low heat, stirring and scraping bottom of pan frequently, until very thick, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (To test for doneness, drop a spoonful of plum butter on a chilled plate, then tilt; the mixture should not be runny. It should be about as thick as jam.) Drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel 1 minute, then invert. Ladle plum butter into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top, then run a thin knife between plum butter and jar to eliminate air bubbles. Seal, process, and store filled jars , boiling plum butter in jars 10 minutes. Let plum butter stand in jars at least 1 day for flavors to develop. OR

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Coat the inside of a large saucepan with the melted butter. Then put in the plums and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon, for about 20 minutes, or until they are soft. #

Put the plums through a strainer or food mill, clean the saucepan, and return the plum pulp to it. Stirring all the time, cook over low heat until the pulp is very thick and dark. Stir in the grated peel, if using, and the sugar. Put the butter into jars, cover and process. To make about 7 pints. #

Traditional Ukrainian Cookery.