Name: Easy Poached Plums
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 plums, pitted; 1/3 sugar; 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon; 1 cup water; 1 orange, juiced (approx. ¼ cup), and zested

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“WOW!” This is a “RELAXED” way to enjoy plentiful fresh plums. The beautiful color and natural plum and orange flavors spiked with fragrant cinnamon make a healthy dessert or brunch side dish.

It’s a plum perfect summer!

Once again, my eyes were way too big in the produce department with all that luscious, beautiful summer fruit calling to me. I used the peaches and blueberries to make a new recipe, a crumble cake. (It’s not yet blog-worthy – it’s a work in progress!) I ate the strawberries for breakfast with oatmeal and snacked on fresh mango. As the week ended, I realized there were plums in the fruit basket. Those forgotten plums needed to be used – as in now!

image of ingredients — It’s a plum perfect summer!

I am crumbled and crisped out. Don’t get me wrong, I love making and eating those easy desserts, but I wanted something different. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go the dessert or breakfast route, so I decided to do both by making poached plums. Poached plums are also known as stewed plums, as both techniques involve cooking through simmering. I like this recipe because it’s just four ingredients and makes the most of the fruit’s natural color, flavor, and texture.

Just FOUR ingredients

The two main ingredients are plums and fresh orange. Cinnamon provides a hint of spice, as well as fragrance. The sugar (or honey) enhances the natural sweetness.

cut plums on cutting board — Cut the plums in bite-size pieces

Cut the plums into bite-size pieces. If you prefer, they can also be halved or quartered.

orange juicer and zester — Juice and zest one orange (bottled juice can be used)

Freshly squeezed orange juice is best. Plus, using an orange means additional flavor from the zest. However, bottled orange juice will work be just fine. The zest, while adding an extra zing of brightness, is a bonus ingredient. If you’re using bottled juice, omit the zest – no need to stress it.

Easy poaching sauce

sauce pan with syrup mixture — Mix water, sugar, juice, zest, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and cook down until it becomes syrupy.

The recipe couldn’t be more simple. Mix the sugar, water, juice, zest, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook down until the liquid becomes syrupy. Add the plums and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the plums are soft.

Simmer plums for 15 minutes

plums cooking in saucpan — Add plum and simmer until plums soften.

The poached plums are great warm, room temp, or chilled. Serve them warm for an easy dessert, add a dollop of whipped topping to dress it up. I like them chilled with breakfast. Poached plums make an excellent topping for both ice cream and pancakes or French toast. The vivid crimson color will brighten up any dish! Enjoy.

poached plums in pan — Serve poached plums warm, room temperature, or chilled.

bowl of poached plums — Poached plums can be enjoyed as a dessert or for breakfast. Enjoy!

Easy Poached Plums

Recipe by Jane BruceCourse: Dessert, BrunchCuisine: British-InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Poached Plums take only 10 minutes to make with 4 simple ingredients. The beautiful color and natural plum and orange flavors spiked with fragrant cinnamon make a healthy dessert or brunch side dish. Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free

Ingredients

4 plums, pitted
1/3 sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 orange, juiced (approx. ¼ cup), and zested

Directions

Prep: Cut plums in half, remove the pit. Cut in quarters, then in bite-size pieces (eighths). Zest and juice the orange.
Place the sugar, water, cinnamon, and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and you have a syrup. Add the plums and simmer (poach) in the syrup for 15 minutes until soft.
Serve hot or cold.