Plum Sauce Recipe Using Dried Plums

By
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/23/21
Plum Sauce Recipe Using Dried Plums

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Canning Time: 10 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 24 servings

Using dried plums rather than fresh fruit gives this variation of Chinese plum sauce an especially rich flavor.

Plum sauce has a combination of sweet, sour, and savory flavors. It is traditionally served with egg rolls, duck and other rich foods, but it is equally good as a glaze for tofu or vegetables.

This version of plum sauce can also be used as a replacement for Hoisin sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups prunes

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/3 cup red onion, chopped

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon white wine

  • 1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chile pepper

  • 1 pinch star anise, or less than 1/8 teaspoon cloves

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Plum Sauce Recipe Using Dried Plums ingredients

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium size pot. Start out with the smaller (1/2 cup) amount of water. Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

    Plum Sauce Recipe Using Dried Plums ingredients in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Add additional water only if the sauce starts to stick to the bottom of the pot. Dried plums that were dehydrated at home tend to be drier than their commercial cousins and may require the extra water.

    sauce cooking in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Turn off the heat and let the ingredients cool for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a blender or food processor and puree the sauce until smooth. (Alternatively, leave the sauce in the pot and, after the cooling off period, puree it with an immersion blender.)

    plum sauce in a blender

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Store the plum sauce in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, or process it in a boiling water bath so that it can be stored in sealed jars at room temperature for a year or more.

    plum sauce in jars

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  6. To can the plum sauce, return it to the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and spoon the sauce into clean quarter or half-pint canning jars. It is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe. Leave 1/2-inch of headspace between the surface of the food and the rims of the jars.

    plum sauce in jars

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Press down on the center of the sauce with the back of a spoon to release any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a moist paper or cloth towel (any sauce stuck there could prevent the lids from sealing.) Process the jars of plum sauce in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjust the canning time if you live at a high altitude.)

    Plum Sauce Recipe Using Dried Plums in jars, jars in a water bath

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

    Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

    Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
41 Calories
0g Fat
10g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 41
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 147mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 101mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)