Pickled Mirabelle Plums

Pickled mirabelles packed into a sterilised jar.

5 from 2 votes

Sweet, tangy and full of flavour, these easy Pickled Mirabelles are perfect for cheese boards, salads or roast dinners. A quick fridge pickle with a beautiful balance of vinegar, sugar and spice.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: British

Servings:

Calories: 151kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

1 kg mirabelles
450 g granulated sugar
240 g cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick split in half
4 cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Place the sugar, vinegar, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorn, cinnamon in a pan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until all the sugar has dissolved and the syrup reaches about 85-90°C (185-194°F).
Prick each Mirabelle with a cocktail stick so the fruit doesn’t split in the pan, then pour into the pickling syrup. Bring up to the boil again then turn off the heat.
Remove the mirabelles with a slotted spoon, decanting into sterilised jars. Pack them in tightly.
Spoon the hot syrup into the jars so that the mirabelles are covered then tightly seal the jars.
Cool the jars rapidly by placing them in a large pot filled with ice and a little water. They need to lower to 4°C (39°F) before they can be moved to the refrigerator. Since you can’t really test the temperature without opening a jar it takes between 60-90 minutes. Keep replenishing the ice to keep it cold. Once refrigerated they are best consumed within 2-3 weeks.
If there is any vinegar syrup left over then decant into a separate bottle and store in the refrigerator for future uses.

Notes

Inspired by Diana Henry’s 'Cerises au Vinegar' in Salt Sugar Smoke.

This recipe was amended in August 2025 due to reviewers commenting that the pickling syrup was overly vinegary and the plums turned to mush. The quantity of vinegar in the recipe has now been reduced and the plums are cooked for a very short amount of time so they retain their shape but are still soft.
This recipe produces enough to fill 2 x 580g Weck jars or 2 x 500g Kilner jars.
You can eat these Mirabelles immediately, however the vinegar will mellow over time if you prefer a reduced tang. This recipe is supposed to be sweet and sour though.
Cool the filled jars of pickled mirabelles quickly by placing in an ice water bath. (a large pot or pan filled mostly with ice but a little water). They should take about an hour to cool, replenish the ice in the bath every so often. This rapid cooling will help to limit the cooking of the mirabelles so they don’t get overly soft and reduces the bacterial growth window.
These Pickled Mirabelles need to be stored in the refrigerator and are best consumed within 2-3 weeks.
To sterilise the jars place the very clean glass jars you would like to use in an oven pre-heated to 140°C (284°F) for 20 minutes. If the lids you are using are not glass then you should sterilise them differently by dropping them into a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes with a splash of vinegar.
I prefer to eat these without the skin as I find it a little stringy in the mouth (my husband is happy skin and all). You can easily push the skin off before eating. Tell everyone who eats them to be wary of stones however, as they will still retain them and can be a nasty surprise if not expected.

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

Nutrition information

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.

The nutrition serving assumes 15 servings. However, it is slightly misleading as it also assumes those 15 servings will include an equal amount of the leftover pickling syrup so please take this nutritional information under advisement.

Nutrition