Plum butter

Plums, plums, plums. I happen to like them a lot. Specially the late season variety, the small, dark, almond shape. When it's season for plums, I can just eat plums.

Well, I ate a lot of plums this fall. I made plum tarts, plum cakes, plum cobblers...and plum butters. I bought some last plums a couple of days ago. I have not touch them. Put them in the fridge. The season for plums together with my appetite is coming to an end.

I decided to do more plum butter and put it in jars for winter. It tastes great on crepes. I emptied two jars already and it's not winter yet.

The recipe calls for cardamon and cinnamon. I added both. These spices work really well with the plums. I don't know if I taste plum, cardamon or cinnamon in the butter. A perfect harmony!

It was a good idea to puree the fruit. It gave a smooth, buttery texture. I had to be cooked for over 2 hours but the atmosphere of making your own jams is well worth it.

The preservation requires more cooking. Mrs. Stewart does not put in the jars for winter, but I did.


Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

ingredients

• 3 1/2 lbs (1 1/2 kg) plums
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 3/4 teaspoon cardamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

instructions

1. Split plums in half. Remove the pits (use the plums that have easily removable pits). Place them in a sauce pan, together with 1 cup water and sugar. Bring it boil and leave it cooking for about 20 minutes, till the fruit is very soft, falls apart. Remove from the hear. Puree the plums and liquid in a food processor.
2. Return the puree to the saucepan together with cardamon and cinnamon. Cook over low heat, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan, for about 2 hours.
3. When the cooking is coming to an end, prepare your jars and lids. For this amount of fruit, you'll probably use 8/250ml jars. 
4. Place a cotton rag on a bottom of another saucepan. Pour in the water. Bring to boil. Put your jars and thier lids in the saucepan and cook them for about 5 minutes. Take them out with a wooden pickle fork. Don't pour away the hot water. Using a funnel and a soup spoon, pour the butter in the jars, to about 2 cm from the top. Close the lids. Pour the jars back in the hot water, on a cotton rag so they don't make noise and brake. The jars should be covered with water, but when things get complicated, they don't have to, really. Just put the saucepan lid on. Cook everything for about 20 min. Leave it in there till cool.
5. Put it in a cool, dark place, if you have one, for storage.