Stewed Prunes
Ingredients
Directions
Use good quality prunes.
Place them in a small porcelain kettle and cover with boiling water.
Boil, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes until swollen and tender.
Drain most of the water, leaving just enough for syrup.
Add 2 heaping tablespoons of sugar for sweetness and boil for a few more minutes without breaking the prunes.
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
- Provide the main body and fruity flavour, softening into tender fruit as they simmer.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps thicken the remaining liquid into a light syrup.
The step that matters
Boil gently after adding the sugar. Vigorous boiling at this stage can split the softened prune skins and break the fruit apart. A gentle simmer keeps the prunes whole while the syrup develops.
“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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