I had an excellent plum harvest from my little tree this year. I had so many plums that I could make plum jam and two types of plum sauce: sweet and savoury. I have always loved plums, and I await that time of year with anticipation, knowing there will be plenty to eat fresh and make sensational preserves for the year to come. It all starts with cooking down the plums to get a plum puree that can then be turned into several different things.

My plum tree is a sugar plum tree, so the fruit is small and sweet. While they are delicious, they are a bit fiddly to get the stones out of, so I throw them into the pot, stones and all and cook them down till soft. You might need to add a little water to prevent sticking when you first start. Then removing the stones after they are cooked is a simple matter. I use a home pasta cooker or colander and, using a spatula, press the cooked fruit through, discarding the stones.

You will end up with a pot of plum puree that can be used to make multiple things. Once you have this puree, you can use it immediately or transfer it into jars and preserving using the boiling water bath method or freeze it for later use.

For my first plum project, I decided to make a sweet plum sauce that could be used on ice cream, pancakes or waffles and can be added to yoghurt. Here is my simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of plum puree
• Half a cup of sugar
• Half a teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions:

• Prepare your 250 ml bottles or jars and lids by sterilising them in boiling water for ten minutes.
• The sterilisation step can be skipped, and you can use washed, rinsed, hot jars or bottles if you are processing for ten minutes or more in the boiling water bath at the end of the recipe.
• Place the plum puree, sugar and vanilla into a pot and bring to a boil.

• Place your sauce into your hot, 250 ml jars or bottles using a ladle and jar funnel, leaving a one-and-a-half centimetre headspace. I used bottles, so I poured my sauce into the bottles using a jug because the bottle opening was too small for the funnel.

• Clean the rims of the jar or bottles to ensure you get a good clean seal and cap with your new lids. 
• For five minutes, process your filled jars or bottles in a boiling water bath. Alternatively, if you did not pre-sterilise your jars and lids, process them in a boiling water bath for ten minutes.
• Once the processing time is achieved, remove the jars or bottles using your jar lifter and allow them to cool on the kitchen counter.
• Label with the contents and date.

This plum sauce is so delicious. I could hardly wait for it to cool down, so I could try it on some ice cream. I also like to add this to yoghurt in the mornings. It can be used as a filling for the classic Victoria Sponge Cake or as a troping for a cheesecake.

Living simply does not mean going without. It means enjoying the simple things in life, like good food, good wine and good company. This easy-to-make, sweet plum sauce adds a wonderful dimension to your food, giving you the taste of summer all year long.

As always, live well.

Valerie