5 Best Recipes for Pickled Prunes for the Winter

Juicy, sweet plums are perfect for making compotes, jams, preserves, and sauces. The fruits are frozen, dried, and cured. And here's How to prepare pickled prunes for the winter, a dish not every homemaker knows. Below are step-by-step recipes for making a delicious, spicy preparation that will help add variety and spice to your holiday table.

The specifics of pickling prunes for the winter

To keep plums firm and plump, a small amount of cognac is traditionally added to the prepared mixture, which adds a piquant flavor. For a more savory taste, the marinade is vinegar-based.

Selecting and preparing the main ingredients

For pickled prunes, choose firm, sweet plum varieties. The dark blue plums of the Hungarian variety are best suited for winter preservation.

1. The fruits are sorted, choosing hard, slightly unripe ones.
2. Next, the plums are washed under running water and the stems are removed.

Important! Soft fruits will crack and turn into mush when preserved.

We sterilize containers

Jars and lids for preparation are thoroughly washed with hot water and sterilized in a convenient way:

1. Bring a container of water to a boil, place a colander over it, and place the jars upside down to be sterilized. Process the jars for 15-20 minutes.
2. The washed containers are placed in an oven preheated to 150 degrees, where they are left for 10-15 minutes.
3. Jars can also be sterilized in a microwave or steamer.

Lids for sealing containers are boiled in ordinary water for 5-10 minutes.

The Best Pickled Prune Recipes

There are many recipes for preparing spicy fruits. But each cook chooses which one will please their family and friends based on their personal taste preferences.

The traditional way in banks

To pickle fruits according to the traditional recipe, you will need:

1. Dark plums – 2000 grams.
2. Drinking water – 1.5 liters.
3. Granulated sugar – 400 grams.
4. Vinegar – 200 grams.
5. Spices: allspice, cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon – to taste.
6. Salt – 4 teaspoons.
7. Cognac – 2 tablespoons.

Place the plums in jars, bring the water to a boil, and pour it over the plums. Once the water has cooled, pour it into a saucepan and prepare the marinade with all the necessary ingredients. Two to three minutes before the marinade is ready, add the cognac. Pour the marinade over the plums and seal the jars with lids.

Tip! To prevent plums from cracking, pierce each one with a toothpick or fork.

A quick recipe without sterilization

To prepare pickled fruit according to this recipe, the marinade is prepared immediately, following the classic recipe but without the cognac. Halved plums are added to the prepared marinade and left to soak for 10-15 minutes. Horseradish leaves are placed in the bottom of the jars, then the fruit is placed and the fragrant liquid is poured over it. The jars are sealed with lids and cooled at room temperature.

Spiced prunes with cloves

To prepare spicy prunes, add 5 grams of cloves to the marinade per 2 kilograms of fruit.

Fruit marinated in cognac with nuts and cream

Carefully cut and pit the plums. Place them in a tightly lidded container and pour hot tea with sugar, lemon, and cognac over them. Marinate the plums for 40-60 minutes, then drain the liquid, stuff the plums with nuts, and top with whipped cream.

Tip! The remaining marinade is perfect for cooking meat or vegetable dishes.

Pickling recipe with bone

To prepare pickled prunes with pits, use the classic recipe as a base. Sugar, salt, vinegar, and spices are added to the marinade based on taste preferences.

Storage conditions and shelf life

Prune pits contain hydrocyanic acid. Plums pickled with pits should be stored in a cool, dark place for no more than 12 months. Otherwise, the canning process may be harmful to health.

If the winter preparation was made from peeled fruits, then jars of pickled prunes can be stored for up to 36 months.