Plum Catsup
- 5 pounds black or red plums, preferably Santa Rosas
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 6 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 2 whole cloves garlic, peeled and lightly scored with the tip of a knife
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- Wash and stem the plums and lay them in a single layer in the bottom of a large Dutch oven.
- Add the water.
- Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the fruit from sticking to the pot.
- The skins will burst and the plums will release their juice and soften.
- Remove the pot from the heat, uncover it, and let the fruit cool for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the plums into a heavy-duty sieve, a small-holed colander, or a food mill set over a large mixing bowl and push the plums through to render the juice and the pulp and to separate out the skins and the pits.
- Discard the skins and pits.
- Return the juice and the pulp to the pot and add the sugar, vinegar, marmalade, cinnamon, star anise, garlic, and salt.
- Set the pot over high heat and bring it just to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer the mixture, uncovered, to reduce it, being careful not to let it splatter.
- Stir often, modifying the heat as needed to keep it at a slow simmer as the liquid reduces.
- Cook for about 35 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.
- Draw a spoon across the bottom of the pot; the mixture should be thick enough to part, expose the bottom of the pot, and then come back together again.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon, anise, and garlic.
- Pour the catsup into glass jars or bottles.
- Kept refrigerated, this catsup will keep for up to 1 year.
- It can be served warm or cold.
black, water, sugar, apple cider vinegar, orange marmalade, cinnamon stick, anise, garlic, kosher salt
Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/plum-catsup (may not work)