My Pantry Shelf

It is unfortunate that so many types of condiments are readily available at the supermarket.  Being able to walk down an aisle and toss in a jar of jam, bottle of ketchup, or any number of types of hot sauce distracts the collective “us” from the fact that none of these products are as good as we can make in our own kitchens.  This point is only magnified when looking into imported ethnic condiments.  There is the allure of some tasty sauce shipped in from around the world and many cooks  (including myself) can sometimes lack confidence when branching out to culinary styles not grounded in our continent of birth.  One look at the ingredient list of these foods though and we are reminded of the uncertain quality of foods with mysterious origin.

All of these complicated thoughts were running through my mind the other day when I happened upon Sherri  Brooks Vinton’s recipe for Asian Plum Sauce in her book Put “em Up.  I am a firm believer that a high quality condiment can transform an ordinary meal into something special.  Since plums are literally falling from the trees right now, there is no better time to capture that goodness in this deeply spiced tangy sauce.  The directions for canning the sauce are included, this sauce is sure to taste even better on a rainy or snowy day in February than it does now when these fruity tastes are so abundant.  I also included the half batch proportions, because I can see whipping up this sauce in advance of my next eggroll party.  What? You have never had an eggroll party before?  Me either, but it sure sounds like fun to me!

And now for the winner of the Canning Supplies Give Away…  Kalamckala from Eating on a Napkin is the lucky winner.  She says, “I’m a newbie with the whole canning and preserving thing but I made an apricot preserve with vanilla and cinnamon – I may have fallen for the entire process! I only hope to can more and more this summer! ”  It sounds like these supplies will be put to good use!  Thank you to everyone who commented!  There are so many great ideas in the comments of that post.  Check them out and get inspired!

Generator Min: 1 Max: 57 Result: 52 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

*A note about the winner selection.  There were 69 comments total, 12 were my responses.  Since it would be strange for me to win my own prize, I used a random number generator to select a random number between 1 and 57.  1 was the first comment and 57 the last.

Asian Plum Sauce

adapted from Put ’em Up by Sherri Brooks Vinton

full recipe: makes 3 cups                                                                                

2 pounds plums, washed, pitted and diced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

2 garlic cloves

1 star anise

half recipe: makes 1 1/2 cups

1 pound plums, washed, pitted and diced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

1 garlic cloves

1/2 of a star anise, or one on the small side

Sterilize half pint or 4 ounce jars.

Toss all ingredients in a medium sized pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Stir the mixture every minute or so using the back of the spoon to gently break down the plum.  Cook until the mixture begins to thicken.  This will take between 15 and 25  minutes depending on whether you are making a half or whole recipe.  Remove and discard the star anise and puree the mixture until smooth.  An immersion blender works great.  If you do not have one, transfer the mixture to your blender or food processor, puree, and then return the mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer once more.

If you plan to use the sauce within a week or two, pour into sterile jars, cover, and refrigerate once cool.

If you want to preserve the sauce for later use, ladle jam into hot sterile jars.  Leave a 1/2 inch head-space. Top with a new lid and band. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for half-pint jars and smaller.  See Home Canning Basics for more information about the canning process.

Print this recipe: Asian Plum Sauce

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