Plum Butter
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This Plum Butter recipe, known as Pflaumenmus in Germany and Powidl in Austria, is made in the slow cooker for an incredibly deep, rich, caramelized flavor. It’s easy to make and if canned properly will keep for up to a year. It’s delicious on bread, muffins, scones, waffles, pancakes, added to cakes and pastries, and even served with grilled meats and seafood!
Plum Butter brings back memories of the time I spent with my Oma and Opa growing up in southern Germany. There it’s called Pflaumenmus and you can readily find it in any grocery store next to the jams and marmalades. My Oma used to make Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) and we would eat them with apple sauce (Apfelmus) or Pflaumenmus. She would also use it as a filling for one of my favorite Swabian dishes, Dampfnudel, or Austrian/Bavarian Germknödel: Sweet yeast dumplings filled with fruit and served drizzled with brown butter and warm Vanillesoße or Crème Anglaise. I would imagine plum butter or something similar is made wherever plums grow, but for me it will always be associated with Germany.
This version is for the slow cooker but in Germany plum butter is most commonly made by baking it in the oven in a heavy pot with lid closed, usually around 350 F for 2-3 hours. The oven method produces a little different texture, a slightly more jam-like consistency versus the consistency of apple butter. I’ve made it both ways and both are excellent. For the sake of convenience I usually use the slow cooker. I also like the deeper caramelization that takes place through the lengthy slow cooking process.
Tips for Making Plum Butter
The longer you cook the plum butter the deeper the flavor will be; it will develop a rich caramelized flavor over time. I’ll often cook it for 20 hours on LOW (yes, 20), then remove the lid and puree the plum with an immersion blender, and leave the lid open as it simmers for another 4-5 hours until quite a bit of the liquid has evaporated and the plum butter is thickened.
Alternatively, you can cook it on HIGH for about 4 hours, blend it, and then leave the lid open (still on HIGH) for another couple of hours until thickened. The LOW and HIGH routes both produce excellent results.
A note on sugar: The plums themselves can be safely canned without the addition of any sugar (most fruits, including plums have enough acidity to be safely canned without anything added to them), so that means you can freely use as much or as little sugar as you prefer.
Really, there are no rules here and no matter which route you take – slow cooker on low vs. slow cooker on high vs. oven vs. sugar or no sugar – it’s going to taste delicious!
Italian plums (aka, European plums) are used for plum butter in Germany. Unlike all other varieties of plums, Italian plums are especially suitable for cooking and develop a nice, complex flavor in the process. Their season is very short, usually September through early October, so take advantage of them while you can.
We’re very fortunate to have 3 Italian plum trees and I’ve been working up a storm in our kitchen using the plums every which way (more plum recipes to come!). Making plum butter is a great way to preserve them so you can enjoy their flavor throughout the year.
Plum Butter Recipe
Let’s get started!
Slice the plums in half and remove the pits. Place the plums in the slow cooker.
Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
Cook either on LOW for at least 10 hours or on HIGH for at least 4 hours until the plums are very soft.
Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender, puree and return to the slow cooker) to puree the plum butter until smooth. If you prefer it a little chunky, blend until the desired texture is achieved.
Continue to simmer the plum butter, this time with the lid opened, until the plum butter is reduced in volume to a spreadable texture, approximately 5-6 more hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH.
The longer you simmer the plum butter the more deeply caramelized it will be. If you’re going to simmer it for a much longer time, I recommend doing so on LOW to prevent burning.
Once it’s reached the desired consistency, taste it. You can add more sugar at this point if you prefer and let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
Spread this on toast, bagels, muffins or add it to a savory glaze for chicken or incorporated in your favorite BBQ sauce. Or serve it the traditional Austrian way with homemade Germknödel!
Be sure to also check out our Caramel Pear Butter!
Enjoy!
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Plum Butter (Pflaumenmus)
Ingredients
- 6 pound Italian plums ,halved and pits removed
- 4 cups sugar ,or combination of white and brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Place the plums in the slow cooker. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Cook either on LOW for at least 10 hours or on HIGH for at least 4 hours until the plums are very soft.Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender, puree and return to the slow cooker) to puree the plum butter until smooth. If you prefer it a little chunky, blend until the desired texture is achieved.
- Continue to simmer the plum butter, this time with the lid opened, until the plum butter is reduced in volume to a spreadable texture, approximately 5-6 more hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH. (Note: The longer you simmer the plum butter the more deeply caramelized it will be. If you’re going to simmer it for a much longer time, I recommend doing so on LOW to prevent burning. I’ll often simmer it with the lid closed for up to 20 hours and then open the lid, puree it, and simmer for another 5-6 hours until thickened.) Once it’s reached the desired consistency, taste it. You can add more sugar at this point if you prefer and let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
- For Canning: Pour the hot plum butter into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rim and secure the lids. Boil in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours before transferring them to a cool, dark place for long-term storage. Will keep opened in the fridge for up to 2 months.Makes approximately 4-5 pints depending on how long you cook and reduce the plum butter.
- Spread this on toast, bagels, muffins, incorporate it into your favorite BBQ sauce or savory chicken/pork glaze.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet September 13, 2016
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Tried this. We have one plum tree. It really produced. Got almost 700 plums I used 300 and made 12 pint jars. It really cooks down. I cooked for 30 hrs in a large cast iron pot. With lid. In the oven On low it came out great not a jelly or jam has its own personality but absolutely fabulous tasting I wish now I’d not given away the rest of the plums to friends. I would have made more. But they also followed this recipe I also made pear butter which turned out great. And today I’m going to do apples We own a pear and cherry orchard and have a few peach , plum and apple trees. For personal use So I can usually have as much of all the fruit I can use. But this is the first time I made fruit butter. Can’t wait for next years crop ❤️
Oh that’s terrific, Lori, I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you very much for the feedback! <3
Followed reciepe 100%, turned out burned flavoured, slow cooker on Low for 18hrs. lid on, mushed to paste like consistency , continued on Low lid off, stired every 45 mins., thickened but still runny. burned ouder and to taste, had to chuck it, do not recommend this reciepe.
We had a bumper crop of Italian plums from our backyard tree this year. Chasing the plum butter I had had in Europe many years ago, I put 7lbs of plums in my slower cooker and followed this recipe. It’s unbelievably delicious and forgiving. The plums were super sweet so I only used 3 cups of sugar. I made a mistake and cooked the plums on high for the first 8 hours. Upon realizing my mistake, I gave a stir and they were nowhere close to ready, so I turned the crockpot to low for another 3 hours. I then used my immersion blender and cooked on low, uncovered for a couple of hours. It was then time for bed, and things didn’t seem ready, so I put the cover on partway, set it for another 10 hours on low and went to sleep. In the morning, it had reduced to about half and the consistency was good. The taste was jaw droppingly perfect. I then had the sudden urge to can it. I had never canned before. So I left the crockpot on low yet again, went to buy Mason jars, and a few hours later set to work. I was able to put up 8 half- pint jars with another pint in the fridge for immediate consumption. We have been eating it all week. My favorite way so far has been on bread with soft cheese. I had planned to can this so I could give it as gifts during the holidays, but I honestly don’t know that it will last that long. Thank you for this recipe. It’s the best thing to come from my summer kitchen this season.
I am so thrilled to hear that, Josie, thank you so much for feedback! <3
This recipe is exactly what I have been trying to find for years! My husband is German and loves his Zentis Aachener Pflumli (Plum Butter made in Aachen, Germany) It is almost impossible to find in the States and when I do it is extremely expensive. Have tried multiple off the shelf plum preserves but nothing meets the taste and texture he loves. Tried this recipe the other day in a small batch made in the oven and the flavor was spot on! Then tried a larger batch made in the crockpot to achieve the correct texture of plum butter. Tip for those who are worried it is too thin: it will be more like applesauce when still warm but once it is in the fridge it will thicken up to more of a spread but not a jam. Knocked it out of the park! Kimberley, you rock!
I’m so thrilled that you guys enjoyed this and I really appreciate the positive feedback – thank you so much, Kelly! <3
I can’t get the thickness of jam that I had as a child? Do I just keep it simmering it? I don’t know what to do?
Hi Heime, this isn’t jam so it’s not going to develop a gelatinous consistency like jam. Plum butter is going to have a much “looser” consistency. That said, it should definitely be a spreadable consistency and if it’s too watery then it just needs to continue simmering with the lid open. I’m assuming you used Italian plums? Other plum varieties are too watery and won’t thicken up properly.
I’m cooking my plums now in the slow cooker. This is my first time making Plum Butter and can’t wait to try it. I wanted to know why you don’t use lemon juice in your recipe like other recipes? I can’t give any stars yet but I’m sure it will be a 5 star.
Hi Margaret, I use lemon in my plum jam and a lot of other jams for some flavor brightness, but brightness and tang isn’t the flavor profile I’m after when I make fruit butter. Instead I’m going for a deep, rich, caramelized flavor. I hope you enjoy the plum butter!