Best Prunes In Port Recipes

SPICED ITALIAN PLUMS (PRUNES) IN PORT

Steps:

• Cut plums in half and remove pit. Combine sugar, water, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes. Add plums, a layer at a time to heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove plums from syrup.
• Pack hot plums into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
• Repeat with remaining plums.
• Reheat syrup to a boil. Remove from heat; discard cinnamon sticks. Stir in port.
• Pour over plums, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. (add a few cloves and pieces of orange peel to each jar). Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps.
• Process 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

PORK WITH PORT AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Combine all dry rub ingredients together and rub meat the night before braising. Refrigerate, covered in plastic wrap, until the next day.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F Heat the oil over high heat in a heavy casserole or Dutch oven just large enough to hold the pork. Brown the pork on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot and add the pearl onions, leeks, and carrots. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Pour in the port, stock and honey and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the prunes, the optional brandy, and the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Put the pork back in and spoon some of the prunes and vegetables over the top. Cover the pot with foil and fit the lid on tightly.
• Place the pot in the middle of the oven and cook for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the pork is quite tender and registers 160° to 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove the pork from the pot and cover loosely to keep warm. The final temperature of the meat after resting for 10 minutes or so may read 170° to 175°F.
• Skim off any fat from the cooking juices. Remove 6 of the prunes and puree them in a food processor or blender. Stir the puree back into the sauce to thicken it. Remove the bay leaves and taste the sauce for salt and pepper. Remove the strings from the pork if necessary, and carve into 1/2-inch slices. Serve with the sauce and prunes and vegetables.

PRUNES POACHED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Place prunes in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain.
• Meanwhile, combine wine and honey in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from the vanilla bean halves into wine and add pods. Add cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add prunes to wine and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add zest. Remove cinnamon stick.
• Cover and let sit for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Prunes will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

PRUNES IN PORT

Steps:

• soak prunes in the port overnight.
• next morning combine everything and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
• take out vanilla bean. (You can wash it and use it again).
• bottle, or store in the fridge.