Plums in brandy
You can use any type of plums in this recipe, but smaller varieties work best. The reason is that the plums are generally served one or two to a small glass, along with a little of the alcohol, after dinner. I’m particularly fond of small yellow mirabelles, which are abundant in Lorraine and Alsace and are grown throughout France. If mirabelles are not available where you live, I’d suggest using small blue plums (quetsches) or greengage plums (reine-claude). Make the recipe when they are in season and at their ripest.
The recipe calls for eau de vie, a clear brandy distilled from fruit. If that is not available, substitute a flavorless vodka. The eau de vie or vodka should be at least 40 percent alcohol per volume to ensure against fermentation of the fruit. You will also need some jars with a hermetic seal — jam jars won’t do, as there could be leakage of air into the jar and alcohol out. The only other requirements for success are a little sugar and a toothpick.
Preparation is super simple. You rinse the plums, prick them with the toothpick, pile them into the clean jars (which do not need to be sterilized), add the alcohol and the sugar, close up the jars and shake them. Shake the jars a few more times over the next day or so to help the sugar dissolve, then store them in a cool dark place for at least two months.
As for quantities, the amount of fruit and alcohol you need will depend on the size of your jars. The basic rule of thumb is to fill the jars with fruit, but not all the way to the top, and then add alcohol to cover. The fruit should be entirely immersed in the alcohol, and there needs to be a little space at the top so that the jar won’t overflow when you seal it. As for sugar, use 3 tablespoons per 1/2 pound (250 g) of plums. Also, see tip below.
The quantities below will make two 1-pint (500 ml) jars of preserved fruit.
1 pound (500 g) plums, more or less
2 cups (500 ml) eau de vie or vodka, more or less
6 tbsp. sugar
1 toothpick
Rinse the plums in a colander and shake off as much water as possible. Place your jars beside the colander.
Pick a plum out of the colander, remove the stem if necessary, pierce it with the toothpick in a couple of places and place in a jar. Important: discard any fruit with bruises. Continue until your jars are nearly full of fruit — leave some space at the top.
Pour in enough eau de vie or vodka to cover the fruit. Add 3 tbsp. sugar to each 1-pint (500 ml) jar, or more or less proportionally if your jars are bigger or smaller. Close up the jars tightly. Shake each jar a few times, then leave them to settle. Repeat over the next day or so until all of the sugar is dissolved.
Store the jars in a cupboard for at least two months. They improve with age and may be kept for several years.
Serve the plums after dinner. For each guest, place one or two plums in a small glass, along with a little of the alcohol. Beware: your guests may well ask for more.
Tip: The day after preparing the plums, open up the jar to take a look. If you see fizzy bubbles, it means the plums are fermenting. This you do not want. Fermentation can occur if the alcohol used wasn’t strong enough. To solve the problem, tip half of the alcohol out of the jar and replace it with vodka that’s 50 percent alcohol by volume. For the record, the fermenting plums won’t give you food poisoning, but the jar could explode. Nobody needs that.
