Brandied Plums Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Wash plums and prick them all over with a needle. Place them in a 1-quart jar with a tight lid and stir in the sugar. Pour in brandy, covering plums by at least an inch. Add cinnamon and vanilla, cover and shake a few times.
• Let jar sit in a dark, cool place (but not the refrigerator) for at least 6 weeks and preferably 3 months. If the fruit floats to the top, turn the jar over.

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.

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.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine raisins, mandarin oranges, prunes, sugar and water to cover. Simmer over medium heat until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in peaches, pineapple and brandy. Store in refrigerator.

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.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the currants, cranberries, cherries, pears and apricots. Zest the orange and add the zest to the bowl. Add the lemon, ginger, anise seeds, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom.
• Juice the orange and add the liquid to the bowl. Add the brandy and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a jar, cover and refrigerate. (If you don't have a jar that's large enough, keep the mixture in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.) Allow the fruit to sit in the liquid for 2 to 14 days before using. The flavor of the fruit, spices and brandy will improve with time. At least once a day, turn the jar upside-down (or thoroughly stir the mixture if it's in a bowl) to make sure all the dried fruit gets coated in the brandied liquid. The mixture keeps in the refrigerator for months, stored in an airtight container.