Mustard blood plums
makes about 1.3kg
This is a take on the apricot mustard fruits but the recipe makes more sauce because it is such a useful embellishment to winter sauces and especially wonderful with duck
500g local dried blood plums
1kg filtered water
15g black mustard seeds
15g yellow mustard seeds
blood plum water
50g hot mustard powder
100g honey
700g caster sugar
100g whole grain Dijon mustard
2 bay leaves
350g Vine Valley white wine vinegar
Method one — for very nice squishy dried blood plums
Remembering that this mix with boil double it’s cold height, weigh the water into a saucepan and whisk in the dry mustard, and then weigh in the honey, sugar, wholegrain mustard and vinegar and add the water, mustard seeds and bay leaves.
Place the pot on high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer on very low heat for about 5 minutes until it starts to thicken, add the blood plums stir over and bring back to the boil, then immediately turn the heat off.
For absolute long life storage safety, store in sterilised glass jars or in the shorter term vac in convenient weights.
Method two — for very dry, dried blood plums
Put the blood plums and mustard seeds into a bowl, cover with cold water and allow to stand over night.
Drain the liquid and top to 1kg with cold water. Remembering that this mix with boil double it’s cold height, weigh the blood plum water into a saucepan and top it to 1kg, whisk in the dry mustard, and then weigh in the honey, sugar, wholegrain mustard and vinegar and add the bay leaves.
Place the pot on high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer on very low heat for about 5 minutes until it starts to thicken, add the blood plums and stir over and bring back to the boil, then immediately turn the heat off.
For absolute long life storage safety, store in sterilised glass jars or in the shorter term vac in convenient weights.
serving suggestions
roast duck, poached or roasted chicken, corned beef and roast pork belly.
tip — the resulting marinade juices are really delicious so you might like to double the marinade and harvest most of it to use a dressing or sauce. We knocked some into a light chicken glaze and…yumbo!
copyright © text and recipes Ann Oliver 2012
