Plum Brandy Recipes

PLUM BRANDY RECIPE

Steps:

• Pierce 450g (1lb) firm plums all over with a skewer or knife and put into a large bowl with 300g (11oz) golden caster sugar, 1 litre (13⁄4 pints) brandy and 1 cinnamon stick. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
• Cover with clingfilm and leave to infuse in a cool, dark place for at least one month and up to three months. Strain through a sieve lined with kitchen paper and use a funnel to pour into sterilised glass bottles.

PLUM BRANDY

Steps:

• Make sure the plum halves are clean and dry, then put them in a large sterilised glass jar. Add the sugar, brandy, cinnamon stick and star anise. Seal and gently rotate the jar to help dissolve the sugar.
• Continue to gently shake or rotate the jar (trying not to bash the fruit too much) every day for a week.
• Once the sugar has dissolved, leave it in a cool dark cupboard for another 2 weeks to infuse.
• Strain the mixture through a sieve lined with muslin, kitchen paper or coffee filter paper. Discard the plums, any fruit pulp and the spices, and pour the strained brandy into a bottle. Will keep for two months.

BRANDIED PLUMS

Steps:

• Boil a stockpot of water as deep as the shoulder of a 2-quart jar with hinged lid.
• Wash and stem plums. Prick several holes around stem ends. Pack plums in jar. Quarter and pit plums that don't fit in jar and re-pack, placing quartered pieces in gaps that form between whole plums. Add cinnamon stick.
• In a 2-quart saucepan or skillet, bring sugar, salt and 1 cup water to a boil, then turn to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool for 10 minutes, stir in brandy. Immediately pour the liquid into jar up to 1/2-inch from the rim.
• Partly close jar, to leave gap for steam to escape, and place in pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Carefully remove jar with jar lifter or 2 tongs and close the lid tightly. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S PLUM BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
• Sprinkle chopped plums with 1 tablespoon of flour in a bowl, and toss to coat. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the margarine, white sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. In another bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cup of flour with salt and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, alternating with yogurt until the mixture forms a smooth batter. Lightly stir in the flour-coated plums, and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with brown sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan for slicing.

MY MOM'S PLUM BRANDY

Steps:

• Rinse the plums (do not scrub away the white bloom) and cut out the pits.
• Place in a large crock or one or more large jars.
• Pour in as much of the sugar as the container can hold.
• Cover loosely (I believe the traditional cover is several layers of cheesecloth but I've done fine with a regular lid that is left unscrewed) and let it ferment at room temperature for six weeks.
• As the mixture liquefies keep adding sugar until it is used up.
• Strain the liquid (reserving the pulp) and mix it with the whiskey and bottle it up.
• My mother always uses a cheap whiskey and allowed the mixture to age in the bottle for many months.
• However, using a good whiskey makes it drinkable right away--especially important for the first batch.
• It keeps indefinitely--if you make enough.

SLIVOVITZ- PLUM BRANDY RECIPE - (3.3/5)

Steps:

• Directions Use a sharp paring knife to pierce the fruit through to the pit, cutting each plum 3 or 4 times and examining each one to make sure it's perfect. (Bruised fruit ferments too quickly.) Pack the fruit into 2 quart jar(s) and add the sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Pour in enough vodka or grain alcohol to cover the plums, and cap the jar securely. Every day for 2 weeks, invert the jar. It's a good idea to place the jar in a bowl, to contain any leakage, then pour the contents of the bowl back into the jar. At the end of 2 weeks, the sugar will have dissolved. Place the jar in a closet or other dark space for 90 days. Strain the finished slivovitz through a coffee filter and transfer it to a storage container or gift bottles.

PLUM GIN

Steps:

• Wash the plums and remove any leaves and stalks. Pierce the plums all over with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, then halve (leave the stones in). Tip into a large, sterilised, sealable jar (about 2 litres) with a wide neck - the plums should easily fit inside. Alternatively, divide between two smaller jars.
• Sprinkle over 150g sugar and add the gin (reserve the gin bottle if you're planning to decant the plum gin back into it later). Seal the lid and give the jar a good shake. Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month, giving it a shake every few days for the first week or so to mix everything together and dissolve the sugar.
• Check the flavour after a month and continue to infuse if you prefer a stronger flavour - it can be left for up to three months. Or, add another 50g sugar and leave for two or three weeks if you prefer it sweeter. When you're happy with the flavour, strain the gin through a fine mesh cloth or muslin into a clean bottle and discard the fruit (you can also eat the boozy plums alongside sponge cakes or ice cream). Store in a cool, dark place. Drink on its own, in a G&T or mix with lemon juice and sugar syrup for a plum gin sour.

BRANDIED PLUMS

Steps:

• Boil a stockpot of water, as deep as the shoulder of a 2-quart jar with a hinged lid.
• Wash and stem the plums and prick several holes around the stem ends.
• Pack plums in the jar.
• Quarter and pit and the plums that will not fit in the jar and then re-pack the jar, interspersing the whole plums with the plum quarters.
• Add the cinnamon stick.
• In a two quart saucepan, bring the sugar, salt and 1 cup of water to a boil, then turn to low and simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Let the syrup cool for ten minutes, then stir in the brandy and immediately pour the liquid into the jar of plums, filling the jar up to a half inch from the rim.
• Partly close the jar, leaving a gap for steam to escape and place the jar in the stockpot of boiling water for ten minutes.
• Carefully remove the jar with a jar lifter or two pairs of tongs and close the lid tightly.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate up to two weeks.