Stewed Prunes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the prunes in several waters, rubbing them in your hands.
Stew the prunes
Put the prunes in a preserving kettle with boiling water.
Simmer for three to four hours.
Add the light brown sugar and boil until the syrup thickens.
Keep the kettle covered and do not stir to ensure each prune stews whole.
Cool
Transfer the prunes to a shallow bowl and let them cool.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Prunes
- Form the main body of the dish and soften into tender fruit as they simmer for hours.
- Boiling water
- Provides the liquid that softens the dried fruit and carries its flavour into the syrup.
- Light brown sugar
- Sweetens the dish and, as the liquid reduces, thickens the syrup.
The step that matters
Keep the kettle covered and do not stir. Stirring agitates the soft fruit and can break the prunes apart. Covering the kettle keeps the heat even and the prunes stewing gently and whole.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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