Simple things to do with very tart plums? [closed]
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We got a bag of purple plums from our CSA that have a great flavor and seem ripe, but that are very tart. I'm the only person in the family who really likes sour fruit, and they are pretty sour even for me, so we are not going to get through them eating them out of hand.
What are some good fast and simple ideas for cooking them? A compote? Can I make something like apple sauce?
EDIT: Speed and simplicity are important considerations. Homemade jam is delicious, and I know how to make it, but jam-making isn't something I am going to do after I get home from work to use up some extra fruit.
Best Answer
Tart fruits work well in jellies and jams, or as candied fruit. These all allow you to vary the sugar content to get the level of sweetness you want, plus you don't have to worry about botulism as much.
You could also try a fruit-infused brandy: cut fruit into slices, and layer fruit/sugar/fruit/sugar into a tall lidded jar. Cover with a spirit of your choice, usually vodka, although a milder brandy or white rum also works. Let this sit for several weeks to infuse, strain, and use as a flavoring in cooking or as a mixer in cocktails (or just drink it).
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What to do with plums that are sour?
According to Darra Goldstein's The Georgian Feast, the plums are made into fruit leather which is used to sour dishes or made into Tkemali, a sauce as ubiquitous as ketchup in Georgian cuisine. Use it to accompany grilled or roasted meats, stir into beans or use as an accompaniment to vegetables.Why are my plums so sour?
When picked as fresh fruit however, they are often picked much less ripe than for prunes to allow for shipping and sitting before eating. If they are ripe, sourness is definitely a matter of taste, I for instance find a fully ripe prune plum to be very slightly tart near the skin, the least ripe part of the fruit.How do you sweeten plums?
Include other fruit in the paper bag. To speed up the ripening process even more, include a banana or apple in the paper bag alongside your plums. The additional ethylene gas produced by these fruits will create ripe, juicy plums faster. Ripen fruit like honeydew melons and mangos using this method as well.More answers regarding simple things to do with very tart plums? [closed]
Answer 2
I'd consider a plum buckle or other plum cake. As necessary you can up the sugar to compensate for the extra-sour plums.
A free-form tart adding berries to the plums as a filling also sounds tasty and like it would have a lovely texture. Perhaps blackberries or raspberries?
Answer 3
You can consider making plum syrup or plum wine, sure they are of very quick and easy "preparation", but they need some time to "age".
One example of Japanese plum syrup and plum wine:
Answer 4
Save some of those babies for summertime. Pit and freeze the plums, and use them to add tang and depth of flavor to smoothies and slushes when the hot weather hits. One of my favorite combinations is prune plum paired with mango in a base of pineapple and grape juices.
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