Salty plum syrup
If you only make one thing from this site, make this. Salty plum syrup turns a difficult-to-measure fruit into a pourable, consistent ingredient. Fifteen minutes of work gives you a bottle that will carry a dozen sodas, mocktails and cocktails.
Prep
5 min
Cook
10 min
Makes
1 cup
Ingredients
- 150 g seedless salty plums, roughly chopped
- 200 g white sugar
- 250 ml water
- 1 strip lime zest (optional)
Nail the ratio
The 3:4:5 rule — 150 g plums to 200 g sugar to 250 ml water — is easy to scale. Double it for a big batch.
Method
- 01
Combine the chopped plums, sugar, water and lime zest in a small saucepan.
- 02
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- 03
Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid is slightly thickened and tastes strongly of plum.
- 04
Take off the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes.
- 05
Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the fruit to extract every drop. Keep the solids for ice cream.
- 06
Cool, then pour into a clean bottle and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Serving suggestions
- Soda: 20 ml syrup, a squeeze of lime and soda water over ice.
- Lemonade: 30 ml syrup per glass of cloudy lemonade.
- Cocktails: use it in place of simple syrup in a gin sour, margarita or spritz. See the cocktail guide.
- Dessert: spoon over vanilla ice cream or drizzle on pancakes.
Variations
Gingered
Add 4 thin slices of fresh ginger to the pan for a warming kick.
Vanilla plum
Split half a vanilla pod into the simmer for a rounder, softer syrup.
Less sweet
Drop the sugar to 150 g. The syrup is thinner but noticeably more sour.
Frequently asked
How long does it keep?+
Around two weeks in the fridge in a clean container. The high sugar content helps, but it is not a true preserve.
Can I use whole plums with stones?+
Yes, but pit them first. Simmering stones will not do the flavour any favours.
Can I use a sugar substitute?+
Some sweeteners work in syrup, but they do not thicken or preserve the same way. Expect a thinner result and a shorter shelf life.