How to Make Vietnamese Sugar-Preserved Plums
Making sugar-preserved plums is quicker and simpler than making plum syrup, while still producing a delicious result. Refer to Cookbeo's method for making sugar-preserved plums that last longer without becoming soggy or cloudy, as shared in the article below.
Ingredients
- 1kg ripe plums
- 0.5kg sugar
- Rock salt
Ingredient Notes
Plums should be selected when ripe, with glossy skin, fresh stems, not bruised or soft. If pressing them feels firm, that's ideal. For making sugar-preserved plums, plum syrup, or plum jam, Cookbeo recommends preparing them during the peak plum season. Early-season plums are still green and not sweet, resulting in a bitter taste. Late-season plums, although sweet, are softer and may have a slightly sour taste.
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Choose ripe and firm plums
For preserving plums in sugar, you can use white sugar, yellow sugar, or rock sugar.
Instructions
Preparing Ingredients
Remove the stems from the plums, rinse them, and then soak them in a dilute saltwater solution for about 10-15 minutes to clean the plums. After that, rinse them thoroughly and let them dry.
While waiting for the plums to dry, clean the jars thoroughly and dry them completely. To be more careful, you can sterilize the jars by boiling them with salt water. Clean and dry jars also help prevent the sugar-preserved plums from spoiling, especially from becoming soggy or cloudy.
Once the plums are dry, make a few cuts around the edge of each plum to help them release both sweet and bitter flavors. You can also slice the plums into small pieces to preserve.
Keep the plum skins as they are rich in nutrients. Additionally, keeping the skins helps the preserved plums remain crisp.
If you have pickling lime, you can mix it with water, stir well, let the lime settle at the bottom, then pour the clear lime water to soak with the cut plums for about 2-3 hours. Lime helps to firm up the plums, reduce bitterness, and prolong their shelf life. However, if you use lime, make sure to rinse the plums thoroughly after soaking to prevent them from becoming bitter due to lime residue.
Making Sugar-Preserved Plums
Spread a layer of sugar in the jar, then a layer of plums, followed by another layer of sugar, and then another layer of plums. To ensure the sugar-preserved plums last longer and do not spoil, place a few salt grains between each layer of sugar and plums. Continue this process until all the prepared plums are used, making sure to top the final layer of plums with sugar. The ratio of plums to sugar depends on personal preference for sweetness, which can be 1 plum to 1 sugar, or 1 plum to 0.5 sugar.
Preserving plums with sugar, sealing the jar, and storing it in a cool, airy placeAfter all the plums have been layered with sugar, seal the jar tightly and place it in a cool, airy place. After about 2 days, the sugar will dissolve completely, and the plums will release their sweetness. At this point, you can store the jar in the refrigerator for later use. Remember to occasionally open the jar to release any gas bubbles caused by fermentation.
To minimize fermentation, once the sugar has dissolved, you can boil the mixture, let it cool, and then return it to the jar.
Alternatively, if you don't like sugar-preserved plums, you can simmer the mixture over low heat for about 30 minutes to obtain a thick plum syrup. Once cooled completely, transfer it to a jar, seal it tightly, and store it in a cool place.
When drinking, depending on the sweetness, you can mix 3-4 tablespoons of the sugar-preserved plum liquid, 1-2 plums with filtered water and ice. Alternatively, you can get creative and use the sugar-preserved plum liquid to make a delicious plum tea.
The sugar-preserved plum drink is very fragrant and has a great cooling effect for summer. However, it should not be overused; you can vary with other fruit drinks to enrich the flavors, such as preserved apricots, mulberry syrup, preserved mulberries, or preserved peaches...
