Stewed Prunes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the prunes.
Cover the prunes with boiling water in a porcelain kettle.
Simmer
Simmer covered until swollen and tender, being careful not to let them break.
When they are about half done, add the sugar.
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 fruit body, softening into tender pieces that carry the dish's flavour.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness that balances the tart, concentrated flavour of dried prunes.
The step that matters
Add the sugar when the prunes are about half done. Sugar slows the softening of dried fruit, so adding it too early can leave the prunes firm. Adding it once they are partly tender lets them finish softening and then sweetens the cooking liquid.
“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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