Spicy Plum Sauce

This is an amazing plum sauce introduced to me by Cathy of Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Kitchen. I love Cathy’s recipe and have made it several times, tweaking it here and there. I replaced the jalapeno pepper with spices and a pinch of cayenne, also adding a handful of chopped, dried cherries. Meyer lemon zest and juice replace the salt in the original recipe.

I prefer to cook mine for a couple hours as opposed to the suggested 30-45 minutes and my cooking process differs slightly from Cathy’s.

This is a wonderful condiment with many pork and chicken dishes, and makes a delicious marinade for pork tenderloins. As Cathy suggests, any ripe plums will work here.

yields 6 cups

• 3 pounds plums, pitted and chopped
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
• zest and juice of one Meyer lemon, or any organic lemon
• 2 tablespoons of peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

1. Pit and chop the plums. Set aside.

2. Using a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the vinegar and sugar until it comes to a boil and sugar has dissolved.

3. Add the plums and the rest of the ingredients. Heat until mixture comes to a boil. Lower heat and allow sauce to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Ladle into sterile jars and process according to safe canning procedures. If you choose not to can the sauce, it will keep in the fridge for several weeks. I have yet to try freezing it.