This is a very simple way to relish end-of-summer plums and capture that dusky, rich flavour for darker days. Roasting seems to do something to concentrate the flavour as well as rendering the flesh creamy-smooth and the skins pleasantly chewy. I add rosemary and cinnamon, sometimes lemon or orange rind. Plums do vary in their tartness so the sugar quantity here is a guide. You can eat them all as simple roasted fruit or go on and bottle them – I generally eat some and bottle some!
Eat them cold or warmed a little with yoghurt, creme fraiche or good old custard. Make breakfast bowls with museli or serve them with syrniki – sweet cheese pancakes. Use as instant crumble, cobbler and pie filling – this compote really is super versatile and easy to use.
For bottling them you do need to create enough syrup (and allow for ahem…sampling!) I add some sugar and a little water to create a light syrup that is so heavenly I find myself drinking it “cough-medicine” style by itself! Roasting = lazy; I roast on a low heat slowly and gently and check occasionally in between doing other things.
Ingredients
2kgs plums (here I used the Romanian dark blue ones, with their fuzzy bloom which are very sweet ) halved or quartered and the stones removed
400-500g sugar
Fresh rosemary – 2 sprigs, or dried 2 tsp
500ml water
2-3 cinnamon sticks
Equipment
A roasting tray or deep ceramic dish. The plums bubble up when cooking (think jam making and allowing space for all the frothing up) and (from experience) can dribble over and the syrup burn on the base of the oven so aim to only fill to half or 2/3 full.
How To
Roasting: Place the plums cut side up on the base of the baking tray. Scatter half the sugar over the first layer, the rosemary and the cinnamon sticks.
Make a second layer of cut plums. Sprinkle over the rest of the sugar and pour the water over.
Bake at 160C slowly and gently for 45 mins- 1 hour. A short cooking will give you firmer plums and a bit longer and the plums turn more “jammy”. Covering with foil can help retain the liquid so I sometimes do this.
Bottling: Turn the oven down to 100C and place washed clean jars and lids in the oven. The plums can stay in the oven so they remain hot for bottling.
Spoon the plums and the associated syrup into the clean jars. Screw the lids on. Turn upside down and then right them.
Process them for 30 minutes in a saucepan of boiling water with a tea towel on the bottom or place them back in the oven at 100C for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Plums are famously high in fibre, they are also full of antioxidants plus potassium which helps blood pressure. For a serving of four plums in syrup (approx 125g) they give you: 4g of fibre. 1g protein and constitute 150 kcals