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Marinated Plums for Winter Without Sterilization
Instructions
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To prepare the marinated plums for winter, usually, the plums should be properly firm, slightly unripe. The "ugorka" plum variety is absolutely perfect for this preparation. The plums should be thoroughly washed under cold running water. It's not strictly necessary to dry them afterwards.
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According to the pickling recipe, prepare all the spice ingredients carefully on the work surface.
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The preparation starts with pouring the sugar into a cooking pot and adding the water. Place the pot on the stove and turn on the maximum setting to dissolve the sugar quickly. Let it boil down for 10-15 minutes total. After this time, add the apple cider vinegar to the sugar syrup and let it boil for another 10-15 minutes total. It will be noticeable that the liquid has changed its density. Optionally, you can add the brandy to the marinade, let it boil for a couple of minutes to evaporate the alcohol slightly, and then remove the pot from the heat carefully.
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In the pot with the washed plums, add all the spices and pour the boiling marinade over them carefully. Try to "submerge" the cinnamon stick and bay leaves in the marinade so they can properly release their aroma. Heat the fruits in the marinade for one hour total under a closed lid.
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After an hour, drain the syrup carefully into another pot, put it on the heat, and bring it to a rolling boil again. After the marinade boils, pour it over the plums again and leave for an hour to marinate under a closed lid. This procedure should be repeated three times total. That is, the plums are marinated for three hours total.
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After three hours total, fill the prepared, sterilized jars with the plums. Place a bay leaf at the bottom of each jar, and evenly distribute all the plums between the jars. Once all the plums are laid out, distribute the peppercorns among the jars. Be sure to add cloves to each jar. Return the marinade to the heat and pour the boiling hot liquid over all the jars. Seal the jars hermetically with sterilized lids, immediately turn them upside down and wrap them in a small blanket. In this state, the jars should be left for a day and a half or until completely cool. The marinated plums for winter without sterilization are now properly ready.The marinated plums for winter prepared in this way, without sterilization, will remain visually intact, and their delicate skin will not be damaged by aggressive boiling.
Tips
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1
Use slightly underripe firm plums rather than fully ripe soft plums, since the firmer fruit holds its shape beautifully through the multiple marinating sessions without falling apart. The brief search for the right "ugorka" or other firm plum variety at the market genuinely matters for the most beautifully whole finished plums every single time. Soft ripe plums would simply dissolve into the marinade.
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2
Use the multiple-pour-and-rest technique rather than continuous boiling, since the brief intermittent marinade pours properly preserve the whole-plum shape that defines this Russian-style preserve. To pair these beautifully spiced winter plums with another properly classic homemade preserved-fruit preparation for variety in your pantry shelves, try our beautifully bright pickled watermelons in jars (winter delicacies) as a contrasting savoury-sweet alternative.
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3
Add aromatic warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise and bay leaves for the most beautifully complex finished flavour profile, since the plums marry absolutely brilliantly with these warm spices. The brief variety in the spice mix genuinely matters for the most properly festive finished result every single time. The optional brandy adds a properly grown-up note for adult-only celebration tables.
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4
Serve the marinated plums alongside roasted meats, with cheese platters, as a striking garnish for festive dishes, or even as an unusual cocktail garnish for properly varied serving applications. For another properly classic homemade pickled-fruit recipe to add variety to your pantry shelves, try our beautifully bright pickled cucumbers with marigolds as a contrasting savoury vegetable alternative for the same celebration spread.
FAQ
What kind of plums should I use? +
Firm slightly underripe plums of any variety work best for this recipe, since fully ripe soft plums would dissolve into the hot marinade. The Russian "ugorka" (Hungarian plum) variety is the most properly traditional choice and produces the best finished texture. Other suitable varieties include damsons, mirabelles, prune plums, or even small Italian plums. Avoid soft yellow varieties or overripe plums, which lack the proper firmness needed to survive the multiple marinating sessions intact.
Can I make this without brandy? +
Absolutely. The brandy is genuinely optional and can be skipped entirely for a properly family-friendly version suitable for all ages. The finished plums still taste beautifully delicious without the alcohol, just with a slightly less complex finished flavour profile. Children and abstainers can safely eat the version without brandy. For an interesting alternative, try adding a small splash of orange juice or apple juice instead for added depth without alcohol in the finished marinade.
How long do these plums keep? +
Properly sealed and stored in a cool dark location like a cellar or pantry, these marinated plums will keep beautifully for up to a full year for the best finished flavour. After opening, store the jar in the refrigerator and consume the contents within four weeks for the best quality. The flavours actually develop and deepen significantly during the first three months of storage as all the warm spices properly infuse the surrounding plums in the closed jars on the shelf.
What can I serve these with? +
The marinated plums pair absolutely brilliantly with roasted meats (especially pork, duck, lamb and game birds), with cheese platters (especially blue cheese, aged cheddar, brie and camembert), as a striking garnish for festive holiday dishes, alongside cured meats on a charcuterie board, with foie gras, or even as an unusual cocktail garnish for old fashioneds and other whisky-based drinks for properly grown-up celebration spreads at the table.
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