The natural sweetness of ripe Italian plums (in Poland known as węgierki, literally Hungarians) blends perfectly with the earthy, pungent aroma and spicy flavor of fresh ginger and the sweet, woody fragrance of cinnamon. Since ginger has a very strong flavor, I suggest that you add it gradually, spoon by spoon, to match your taste. Simply treat the four spoons in the recipe as a suggestion.
The recipe might appear time and work-intensive because its preparation spreads over two days but I assure you that it is worth your effort and the taste of your homemade plum butter will reward your work.
Rinse the plums. Cut in half and remove the pits. Stir together fruit and sugar in a medium-size pot, cover with a lid, and set aside for about 2 hours to macerate at room temperature, until juices are released. Bring the fruit and sugar mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 1.5 hours, with the lid on. Stir occasionally to prevent the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Turn off the heat and set it aside overnight at room temperature. The next day repeat the cooking process: let the already once cooked fruit simmer again over low heat, for 1.5 hours, stirring from time to time. Halfway into the cooking time add freshly minced ginger and ground cinnamon. Continue cooking until the fruit mixture is boiled down to a thick, velvety mass. Turn off the heat, puree with a stick blender (this step is optional) and ladle the boiling hot plum butter into the sterilized jars, filling to just below the rim. Close the jars with a lid and turn them upside down for 10 minutes. Turn the jars back up again and wait until fully cooled.Polish Spiced Plum Butter (Powidła)
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