Pickled Mirabelle Plums
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These Pickled Mirabelle Plums are a deliciously sweet sour accompaniment to any cheese or charcuterie platter.
My preserving habit is out of control. Our vast array of jarred goods are now happily commandeering every single shelf in our fridge. So much so that I have banned myself from doing any further food shopping until we have started to finish off some of the contents of those jars. It’s easier said than done as every little jar has its own special purpose in our kitchen:
- Homemade Chinese Damson Sauce.
- Wild Blackberry Lime Jam for my Blackberry Cheesecake Hazelnut Oat Bars
- Mango Chutney which I love to include in a curry recipe
All these preserves are needed, constantly used and enjoyed.
The worst thing is that yesterday, I added another jar to the fridge so really I might as well forego proper meals completely and just dig into the horseradish with a spoon and call it lunch. Meet these wonderfully addictive Pickled Mirabelles.
What are mirabelle plums?
The mirabelle is a small stone fruit from the plum family. They can most commonly be found in Lorraine in France, although the ones I used were from Essex, and have a short season in the late summer. They are yellow, tiny and particularly sweet and juicy. Mirabelles make a very lovely jam, but here we're doing something a little bit different.
Pickling fruits
Pickling fruits is incredibly satisfying and excellent way to use up a glut of fruit that isn't dessert based. They make a wonderful addition to any cheeseboard or charcuterie platter. When we brought a kilo of mirabelles home from the farmers’ market I knew they would be ideal for this purpose.
This is a simple recipe to follow, one of those assembly type affairs where you more or less put everything in a saucepan, bring to the boil for a few minutes then decant into jars. Really, the best kind of preserving.
These Pickled Mirabelle Plums are golden and jewel like in the jar, and when you remove them they sparkle in the October sunshine making them look utterly irresistible.They taste sweet with just a touch of sourness which makes them absolutely ideal with cheese or cold meats. They do have a small stone in the middle though so you must be careful when you pop them in your mouth that you don’t break your tooth.
What can you do with the leftover pickling syrup?
Don't throw that leftover pickling syrup away whatever you do. It has a myriad of uses in your kitchen, not least:
- salad dressings - whisked in with a little extra vinegar and olive oil
- stews or casseroles - image a couple of tablespoons in one of your family favourite dishes. A pinch of sweet and sourness.
- marinades - you can marinate chicken breasts or thighs in this syrup. Then grill or roast for a delicious dinner.
If you are looking for some more stone fruit recipes then why not try:
Plum Nectarine Cornbread Cobbler
Plum Brown Butter Almond Cake
Damson Orange Cinnamon Jam
If you make these Pickled Mirabelle Plums then please leave a comment below and/or give the recipe a rating. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own baking creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
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Pickled Mirabelle Plums
Ingredients
- 1 kg mirabelles
- 600 g cider vinegar
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 900 g granulated sugar
- 4 cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Prick each Mirabelle with a cocktail stick so the fruit doesn’t split in the pan, the place in a large saucepan with the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 4 minutes.
- Take off the heat and remove the mirabelles with a slotted spoon, decanting into sterilised jars.
- Place the syrupy vinegar back onto the heat then bring back to a boil and keep at a rolling boil for about 10 minutes until the syrup reduces slightly. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- Once cooled, spoon the syrup into the jars with the mirabelles until filled and seal.
- If there is any vinegar syrup left over then decant into a separate bottle and use for salad dressings.
Notes
Ingredient measurements
- Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
- US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups
I tripled the recipe, followed the directions to a “T”. My results were very disappointing. The plums turned to mush. I love sweet and sour and felt the 3x recipe tasted like vinegar with barely a hint of sweetness - and these plums were over the top sweet this year.
I’m curious to get your feedback, thank you,
Thank you for your feedback on the tripled recipe. I'm sorry to hear about the disappointing results. You are right that the plums do soften which I hope is reflected in the images. I'll review the recipe to identify any potential improvements for the future.
Great recipe, but it would be so helpful if the number of jars required were included. Thanx
Thank you - yes I agree, I'll include in the update.
How long do you leave sealed before you eat these. Refrigeration required before opening?
You can have them straightaway.