Greengages, Preserved in Syrup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the syrup
Boil the sugar and water together for about 10 minutes.
Remove the stones from the greengages and add the fruit to the syrup.
Simmer gently until nearly tender, then remove from heat.
Rest overnight
Transfer the fruit to a large pan and let it sit overnight.
Finish and jar
The next day, boil the syrup again for about 10 minutes with the blanched kernels from the stones.
Carefully place the fruit into jars and pour the syrup over it.
Once cool, cover the jars tightly to exclude air.
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
- Greengages
- Provide the fruit flavour and the soft flesh that becomes the preserve.
- Loaf sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps preserve the fruit by drawing out water and limiting spoilage.
The step that matters
Simmer gently until nearly tender. Gentle heat softens the fruit while keeping it whole. Boiling hard breaks the skins and cooks the flesh unevenly, leaving a mushy preserve.
“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.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.