Best Sour Plum Molasses Recipes
SOUR PLUM MOLASSES
Often made from sour varieties of pomegranates, apples, cherries, oranges and plums, sour fruit molasses is a staple in Northern Iranian cooking. Hanif Sadr uses wild plums that he forages in the Bay Area, which make his molasses extra sour, but store-bought plums work just as well. It's a simple but long process, though it doesn't take all day, as it would in Iran. Similar to preparing a fruit butter without sugar, this recipe calls to cook the fruit once to soften and release juices, then cook again to thicken. A nonstick pot prevents the molasses from burning on the sides and means less stirring. This molasses is worth the effort: You get a thick, spreadable sauce with a deep, caramelized plum flavor. Leftovers keep for a year refrigerated; use them for a variety of Iranian kebabs and stews, or mix with butter and rub on a whole chicken before roasting, as Mr. Sadr does.
Provided by Leena Trivedi-Grenier
Categories condiments
Time 3h
Yield About 1 1/4 cups
Number Of Ingredients 2
Steps:
- Wash and dry the plums, then add the whole plums to a medium nonstick pot. Add 1 cup water, then cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat so the pot is barely at a simmer. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You should end up with a pot full of juice and soft fruit.
- Strain the plums and juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Use a rubber spatula to press as much fruit through the strainer as possible, then discard remaining skins and pits. (You should have about 3 1/4 cups pulpy plum mixture.) Rinse out and dry the pot.
- Put the pulpy plum mixture back into the clean pot and bring to a simmer over high heat while stirring and scraping the sides of the pot. Lower heat so the pot is barely bubbling. Continue to cook, uncovered, for about 1 3/4 hours, stirring occasionally, scraping down the sides of the pot and adjusting the heat as necessary to keep it barely bubbling. As the molasses thickens in the last 20 minutes, stir and scrape down the pot more frequently to prevent the mixture from sticking and burning. Depending on the size of your pot, you may not need the full amount of time; watch closely toward the end.
- Stir in the salt, then cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The finished molasses will be sour, with a deep, caramelized plum flavor, and spreadable, holding its shape on a spoon. Remove from heat and ladle into a warm, dry lidded jar that has been sanitized in boiling water. Seal it while still warm, then let the jar come to room temperature before refrigerating. Store in the fridge for up to 1 year.
BADEMJAN KEBAB
Bademjan kebab is traditionally pan-fried eggplant stuffed with bieh, a herb-and-nut sauce that, in Northern Iran, uses sour fruit molasses along with the typical sweet and sour pomegranate molasses. An important Northern Iranian spice, Persian hogweed is earthy, sour and slightly bitter, with a pungent scent; you can find it at Middle Eastern groceries. Mr. Sadr sautés the bieh until the herbs and nuts cook down into a dark green, thick paste, which is spooned onto partially roasted eggplant halves then roasted. Northern Iranian cooking doesn't use a lot of spices, so the herbs, nuts and molasses create a deeply flavored, almost meaty vegan sauce. It's flexible, so sub in dill, basil, tarragon, savory or scallion for any of the herbs. The bieh will keep for 1 week in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer, so you can make it in advance. If eating this dish as a main, Mr. Sadr suggests serving it with plain or turmeric basmati rice.
Provided by Leena Trivedi-Grenier
Categories dinner, vegetables, main course, side dish
Time 1h45m
Yield 6 entrée servings or 12 appetizer servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Make the bieh: In a food processor, pulse the walnuts and hazelnuts until very finely ground, then set nuts aside in a small bowl. Add the cilantro, parsley, chives, mint, sorrel, onion and garlic to the food processor, and purée into a fine paste. (You should have about 1 1/4 cups herb paste.)
- In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat up the neutral oil over high until shimmering, then lower heat to medium and add the herb paste and ground nuts. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently to evaporate the water from the mixture. Stir in the turmeric, paprika, hogweed (if using), 2 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the sour plum molasses and pomegranate molasses, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture is dry and looks like it might stick or burn, add a few tablespoons of water at a time to help (up to 1/2 cup total).
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lower stove heat to medium-low and keep cooking the bieh, stirring occasionally, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. The bieh is done when it's a very thick, dark paste. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Place bieh in a bowl and set aside. (You should have 2 1/2 packed cups.)
- Prepare the eggplant: Slice all the eggplant in half lengthwise and divide among two sheet pans. Drizzle each with olive oil and toss to coat, then arrange cut-side up. Sprinkle with sumac and season with salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes, until eggplant is halfway cooked but still holding its shape.
- Remove eggplant from the oven and spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of bieh on top of each eggplant half, spreading it evenly; you should use up all the bieh. Roast for another 12 minutes, or until the eggplant is completely tender but still holding its shape.
- Garnish the eggplant with more chopped herbs, barberries, sprouts or pomegranate seeds. If eating as a main, serve with plain or turmeric basmati rice.
OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES "CARAMEL" CORN
Back in the day, down South, cooks didn't have corn syrup on their shelves, they had sorghum molasses as it was cheaply and locally produced. It's an old fashioned taste I love and candy made w/ molasses is far more flavorful than candy made w/ corn syrup. My Granny cooked her candy till 'hard crack' on the stovetop and poured it over the corn, but doing it that way takes a lot more babysitting and using this method you won't burn or undercook it because it hardens in the oven.
Provided by Weewah
Categories Candy
Time 1h15m
Yield 14 Ziplock sandwich bags, 14 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Pre-heat oven to 250 deg.
- Place butter in a medium pot, on medium heat.
- While the butter's melting, pop the corn and put it in a large roasting pan. I used a disposable aluminum pan and a hot air popper (you won't need to butter the pan).
- Keep an eye on the butter and add the sugar, molasses, and salt to it as soon as its melted.
- Bring the candy to a boil and stir and cook it only till the sugar melts and the butter blends in entirely - just a couple minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir the vanilla and peanuts into the candy.
- Quickly add the baking soda and stir untill it's well mixed. It foams to make a lighter, more delicate candy.
- Pour the candy over the popcorn and toss untill it's evenly coated.
- Put the popcorn in the oven for 1 hour, tossing every 15 or 20 minutes.
- Let it cool completely before breaking up and putting into an airtight container.
- I developed this recipe by hacking others because I couldn't find another to suit me. I made this for Christmas treats and it was INHALED, you'll find it tastes like Cracker Jack; that candy is made with molasses, not corn syrup, I got a box yersterday to compare.
- You can easily double this, but double the baking time too.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 312.9, Fat 10.5, SaturatedFat 6.3, Cholesterol 26.1, Sodium 359.4, Carbohydrate 55, Fiber 2, Sugar 40.7, Protein 1.9
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