German Plum Butter - Pflaumenmus Recipe

The spicy Pflaumenmus recipe, or German plum butter, is a traditional way of preserving plums in Germany.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Preserves and Canning Recipes

Cuisine: German

Diet: Vegan

Servings: jars, about 300 ml/ 10 fl.oz each

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Very large pot Note 1
Immersion blender
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

US - EU

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.
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.

Nutrition