The spicy German plum butter or Pflaumenmus recipe is a traditional way of preserving plums in Germany.
German plum butter, or Pflaumenmus, is probably the most popular homemade jam in Germany.
Plums or Zwetschgen (Italian plums) grow just about anywhere, and if you live anywhere in the countryside, you don't ever have to buy any plums. Even if you don't have a tree in your garden, you can get tons of them from friends and neighbors every autumn.
And if you have lots of them this year as well, Canning Plums is really easy. Or make some delicious Stewed Plums or a nice Zwetschgenkuchen.
Ingredients: 6 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 5 jars | Difficulty: Easy
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What is Pflaumenmus?
Pflaumenmus, or German plum butter, is a traditional type of plum jam popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland. Unlike regular jam, it has less sugar and is made without gelling agents or preservatives.
Pflaumenmus requires several hours of cooking, though my method reduces this time while still achieving a thick, fruity butter. This shorter cooking time keeps it lighter in texture and full of plum flavor. Every autumn, I make many jars to gift, and everyone agrees it's the best Pflaumenmus they've tried.
Try Cherry Butter and Rhubarb Butter, too.
Recipe ingredients
What kind of plums do you need?
Italian plum (Zwetschgen) or regular plums, it is really up to you. I use the Italian or German plums most of the time because I always get them for free and in considerable amounts.
The quantities are up to you, too. Use as many as you have or as many as your largest cooking pot can hold. Today's recipe uses 4.5 oz/ 2 kg Zwetschgen and yields about 5 jars with a capacity of about 10 fl.oz/ 300 ml.
- Save a few plums to make Plum Clafoutis or Plum Bread.
Sugar: You will have to adjust the sugar accordingly. For this amount of fruit, I needed 2 cups of sugar/ 400 g. I sometimes add a sachet or two of vanilla sugar, but that's optional.
Spices: Cinnamon, cardamom, anise, and allspice. Or NONE - the plum butter will be just as delicious, and many people prefer it that way.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ways of making plum butter
Oven method:
- The chopped plums are sprinkled with sugar and are baked for about 3 hours in the oven. Once cooked, add the spices and blend.
- One drawback for me: the plums release a lot of water, and I managed to make a real mess of my oven twice.
Slow cooker:
- The fruit is cooked for up to 20 hours in the slow cooker until thickened and caramelized.
- It works well, but my kitchen is rather small, and having the slow cooker occupy an important surface for 20 hours makes me think twice before using this method.
Stovetop method:
- Works best for me.
- It also allows me to decide when to stop cooking the butter. And I do that sooner than other people because I prefer the fruitier, fresher version of the jam.
How to make Pflaumenmus?
Step #1: Stone and chop the fruit roughly. Place in a large, wide, and deep pot. Add ¼ cup of water, not more than that, as the fruit will release a lot of juice as well.
Step #2: Heat slowly and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the plums are completely soft and broken.
Step #3: Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Step #4: Cook for another 10 minutes.
The butter will start to bubble immediately, and the bubbling will be quite violent during the first 5-6 minutes. It is better to cover the pot, leaving a small crack open, during this time. Once the bubbling has calmed down, remove the lid.
Step #5: Add the spices and the sugar and mix well. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes to 1 hour until the Pflaumenmus has thickened to your liking.
Step #6: If you would like it to be caramelized more, you can cook the German plum butter for longer, for a total time of 2-3 hours.
Don't forget to stir well every 5 minutes or so, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot well.
Can the plum butter
- Ladle into clean jars, leaving about 0.6 cm/ ¼ inch headspace. Clean the rims and close the jars.
- Can the German plum butter in a water bath canner or in a large pot for 10 minutes. Leave in the canner for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove with a jar lifter and let cool completely and undisturbed on folded kitchen cloths.
Good to know!
The pot should be very large, wide, and rather deep. The plums will release much water, and you don't want that overcooking.
Consistency: Pflaumenmus will thicken, but not as thick as preserves thickened with pectin or other gelling agents. So, don't think anything is wrong with the jam if it is not stiff.
You can adjust the spice quantities according to your taste. You can add more for a spicier spread or leave them out completely; the results will still be delicious.
Canning without a canner: You can still can the jars in a large pot if you don't have a canner. Place a folded kitchen cloth on the bottom of the pot and arrange the jars in it to ensure they don't touch each other. Cover with water and boil gently for 10 minutes. Leave for 5 minutes, remove, and let cool on folded kitchen towels on the counter.
How to store plum butter?
The German plum butter will keep well for at least one year.
Once canned and cooled, check the lids. If you find some that are not sealed properly, keep those in the refrigerator. Unopened, they will keep for about 6 months.
Once you open a jar, keep the German plum butter refrigerated. It will also keep for quite a while, at least one month. But that is easy to check; mold is very easily spotted.
German Plum Butter - Pflaumenmus Recipe
Equipment
- Very large pot Note 1
- Canner Note 2
- 5 Jars about 10 fl.oz/ 300 ml capacity, Note 3
Ingredients
- 4.5 lbs plums 2 kg, Italian or regular plums
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400 g
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon Note 4
- ½ teaspoon ground anise
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Boil plums: Wash, stone, and roughly chop the plums. Place them in a very large, wide, and deep pot. Add ¼ cup/ 60 ml water and stir. Heat slowly. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the fruit is completely soft and broken down.4.5 lbs plums + ¼ cup water
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Cook for another 10 minutes. The butter will start to bubble immediately, and the bubbling will be quite violent during the first 5-6 minutes. It is better to cover the pot, leaving a crack open, during this time. Once the bubbling has calmed down, remove the lid.
- Add the spices and the sugar and mix well. Continue cooking on low heat, uncovered, for another 30 minutes to 1 hour until the Pflaumenmus has thickened to your liking, stirring every 5 minutes or so, making sure that you scrape the bottom of the pot as well.2 cups granulated sugar + 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ground anise + 1 teaspoon ground cardamom + 1 teaspoon ground allspice + 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- Cooking time: Mine was cooked for 30 minutes, and it is really fruity. The longer you cook it, the sweeter and more caramelized it will become. If you like more of a caramel note, you can cook it for longer, a total time of 2-3 hours (Note 5).
- Ladle into clean jars, leaving about ¼ inch/ 0.5 cm headspace. Wipe the rims and place the lids on.
- Can the plum butter in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (Note 2). Leave to rest for 5 minutes. Carefully remove using a jar lifter and wear mitts. Place on folded kitchen cloths and leave, undisturbed, to cool completely (Note 6).
Notes
- The pot: Use a very large, wide, and fairly deep pot - the plums release a lot of juice as they cook, and you don't want it boiling over.
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Canning without a canner: You can easily can the jars using a large pot. Line the bottom with a folded kitchen towel, place the jars on top (so they don't touch), and cover them with water. Bring to a gentle boil and process for 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then remove and cool on folded kitchen towels on the counter.
- Jars: Their size is not so important. I use what I have, just make sure they have more or less the same size.
- Spices: You can use only some of the spices, add more of the mentioned ones to taste, or you can leave them out completely.
- Consistency: Pflaumenmus thickens naturally but won't be as firm as jams made with pectin or other gelling agents. Don't worry if it's not very stiff - that's exactly how it should be.
- Storage: Pflaumenmus keeps well for at least one year when properly canned. After canning and cooling, check the lids - any jars that haven't sealed should be stored in the fridge and used within about 6 months. Once opened, refrigerate and consume within a month.
Heidi says
This recipe is simple and delicious to make! It tastes like Christmas!