You can never have too many plums: unexpected ways to process them

First, a few words about the beneficial properties of plums for our health. Most of us know that this fruit is rich in fiber, so we consume plums when we need to activate our intestines. But the benefits of miracle fruits do not end there.

Scientists have discovered an abundance of vitamins (B, C, A, P, E), minerals (calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium) and polyphenols in plums. So, it is useful for all of us – both children and adults – to eat plums in any form (raw, dried or in the form of jams, preserves or compote). This will strengthen the immune system and protect against cancer; smokers who expose their bodies to carcinogens should especially eat plums. Its fruits have a very beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and hematopoietic system, and strengthen bone tissue.

Now let’s talk about how best to get all these useful substances. Of course, it would be ideal to eat plums fresh, straight from the tree. But no matter how tasty and healthy it is, you can’t eat a lot of it – due to the abundance of fiber and high fructose content, as well as sugar alcohols. Otherwise, you may end up with indigestion. For the same reason, people with gastrointestinal problems and allergies should use it with caution, and young children should eat no more than 2-3 plums per day.

But in processed form, plums can be eaten without fear of consequences. In addition, the recipes suggested by our readers are very simple, and the dishes turn out to be finger-licking good.

Plum with chocolate

Any housewife can make traditional plum jam, but try adding unusual ingredients to this familiar recipe – we assure you that your family and friends will be very grateful to you for this.

For 2 kg of plums you will need about 0.7–0.8 kg of granulated sugar and 200 g of 70% dark chocolate. Wash the plums, remove the pits and pass through a meat grinder. Place the puree in a saucepan with a thick bottom and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about an hour, then add sugar and cook for another half hour. By this time the jam should have thickened, otherwise cook for a few more minutes. Add chopped chocolate to the hot mixture and stir thoroughly until it melts completely. After this, you need to bring the mixture to a boil again, and at the end transfer it directly hot into sterilized jars.

Braised chicken with plums

In oriental cuisine, cooks widely use plums to prepare various gravies for meat and fish dishes. For example, chicken stewed with plums is very easy to prepare – even a child or a man can handle this recipe.

Take chicken fillet or shin meat, and it is better to choose a stronger plum so that it does not turn into porridge. For 600 gr. chicken will need 200 gr. drain is about 10 pieces. You also need one onion, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Wash the chicken fillet or drumstick meat and cut it into pieces, wash the plums too, cut them into halves and remove the pits. Peel the onion and cut into half rings, chop the parsley. Lightly fry the onion in vegetable oil, add the meat and fry together for another 10 minutes, then add plums, parsley, salt and pepper, mix everything well and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.

Tkemali sauce

This spicy sweet and sour sauce is ideal for any main course, be it vegetables, meat, fish or seafood. For a kilogram of plums you will need 4 cloves of garlic, 1 pod of hot pepper, 5 tbsp. l. cilantro, 3 tbsp. dill, 1 tbsp. l. tarragon, 2 tsp. mint, 2 tsp. coriander seeds, 2 tsp. khmeli-suneli, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. l. sugar, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 3 tbsp. l. pomegranate juice, 100 ml water, olive oil to taste.

First of all, the plums need to be washed, pitted and cut into quarters. Then place them in a saucepan with water. Having brought to a boil, they need to be simmered, stirring over medium heat, for 15 minutes. Then discard in a colander, and when the liquid is drained, the plums should be rubbed through a sieve.

Place the resulting puree back into the pan, add chopped hot pepper and the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat for another 5 minutes.

Cool the finished sauce, place it in sterilized jars, pour olive oil on top and store in a cool place.

plum ketchup

If there are a lot of drains on the site, do not rush to throw them into the compost; they will make excellent homemade ketchup, spicy and aromatic, no worse than tomato ketchup.

For 1 kilogram of plums you will need 2 heads of garlic, 2 tbsp. l. dried dill, 2 tsp. dried mint, 3 tsp. ground coriander, 0.5 tsp. ground red pepper, salt to taste.

The plums need to be cut into halves, after removing the pits, placed in a pan and filled with water. Cook until the mass softens, then drain the liquid into another pan, rub the plums through a sieve and combine with the liquid again. Now put it back on the fire and cook until the puree thickens to the desired consistency. A couple of minutes before the end of cooking, add chopped garlic, dried herbs, spices and salt. Store the finished ketchup in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Plum marshmallow

Both adults and children love this delicacy. The only problem is that the marshmallow takes a very long time to prepare, and you can still gain weight if you eat it excessively. But our reader, Marina from Serpukhov, offers a recipe without added sugar, so you don’t have to worry about your figure.

Now about how to cook. We take the plum, wash it, remove the seeds, chop it and simmer for about 15-25 minutes over low heat, and then remove the mixture from the heat and turn it into puree in any way convenient for you. If the puree turns out too liquid, then simmer a little more. Having brought it to the desired consistency, pour the workpiece in a thin layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and put it in the oven for 4-6 hours at 100 degrees.

To improve the taste, you can use any additives: for example, cinnamon, ground walnuts or grated lemon zest.