Five Spice Plum Sauce

A savory, sweet, and spicy condiment to preserve that's perfect for when you've got plenty of fruit, but you don't need another jar of jam.

Special equipment: a boiling water canner, a jar lifter, a food mill

Ingredients

serves 5 12-ounce jars, active time 1 1/2 hours, total time 2 1/2 hours

• 4 pounds plums, pitted and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2-4 chili peppers (hot), stemmed and chopped
• 2 cups red wine or apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 whole (3-4 inch) cinnamon stick
• 4 whole star anise pods
• 1 teaspoon sichuan peppercorn
• 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Procedures

1. Prepare boiling water canner and sterilize 5 12-ounce jars by boiling them for ten minutes. Wash lids and rings and bring to a simmer in a separate, small saucepan of water. Turn off heat and allow jars, lids, and rings to sit in hot water until you need them.
   
2. In a heavy-bottomed, non-reactive pot, bring plums, water, onion, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
   
3. Add to plum mixture sugar, vinegar, spices, and soy sauce and continue to simmer until plums are falling apart and the mixture is quite soft, about 20 minutes.
   
4. Remove cinnamon stick and pass mixture through a food mill in batches into another non-reactive saucepan.
   
5. Return the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the texture is pulpy and saucy.
   
6. Remove from heat and ladle into prepared jars, leaving a half inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jar lids with a clean kitchen or paper towel and seal.
   
7. Place the sealed jars back into the canning kettle. When all jars are added, make sure that the water level clears the jar lids by at least one inch. Add more water if necessary, and, over high heat, bring the water back up to a boil. Once the water boils, set a timer for ten minutes.
   
8. After ten minutes, turn off heat, and allow jars to sit in water for five additional minutes. Then, using a jar lifter, remove the jars to a cooling rack.
   
9. Once jars have reached room temperature, remove rings and test that all lids have sealed properly. If any have not sealed, store them in the refrigerator. Label and store sealed jars in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

Roasted Plum and Lemon Verbena Jam

Special equipment

boiling water canner and jar lifter

Ingredients

serves Makes 5 to 6 half-pint jars, active time 1 hour, total time 1 1/2 hours

• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh lemon verbena
• 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 20 to 25 plums (about 5 1/2 pounds, whole)
• 2 tablespoons low-sugar pectin
• 2 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons

Procedures

1. Strip verbena leaves from stems and place leaves in a tight-sealing container with 1 cup of sugar. Allow to sit at least overnight and up to several weeks to infuse flavor.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare boiling water canner. Sterilize 6 half-pint jars by boiling them for ten minutes. Wash lids and rings and bring to a simmer in a separate, small saucepan of water. Turn off heat and allow jars, lids and rings to sit in hot water until you need them.
   
3. Wash and quarter plums, removing pits. Toss plum quarters with infused sugar and verbena leaves and spread in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast, uncovered, until plums have softened and begun to release juice, about 30 minutes..
   
4. When plums and verbena are finished roasting, place them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, along with lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir together remaining sugar and pectin in a small bowl, then stir mixture into Dutch oven and return to a boil. Cook until the mixture registers 220°F on a candy or instant read thermometer.
   
5. Turn off heat and skim any foam with a spoon. Ladle jam into prepared jars, leaving a quarter inch of head space. Wipe the rims of the jar lids with a clean kitchen or paper towel and seal.
   
6. Place the sealed jars back into the canning kettle. When all jars are added, make sure that the water level clears the jar lids by at least one inch. Add more water if necessary, and, over high heat, bring the water back up to a boil. Once the water boils, set a timer for 10 minutes.
   
7. After 10 minutes, turn off heat, and allow jars to sit in water for f5additional minutes. Then, using a jar lifter, remove the jars to a cooling rack.
   
8. Once jars have reached room temperature, remove rings and test that all lids have sealed properly. If any have not sealed, store them in the refrigerator. Label and store sealed jars in a cool place out of direct sunlight.