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Chinese plum sauce
酸梅酱: plums simmered with sugar, vinegar, ginger and chilli into a glossy sweet-tart dipping sauce
In Hong Kong and Guangzhou roast-meat shops, a small saucer of plum sauce comes with crisp roast goose and siu mei, and at home it is the dip for spring rolls at New Year and the glaze for vegetarian fried tofu or cha siu-style mushrooms. Cantonese suan mei jiang is fruitier and more sour than the gloopy bottled kind: ripe plums are simmered with sugar, rice vinegar, ginger and a little chilli until thick and glossy. Make it in late summer when dark plums are cheap. Common mistake: boiling it too thick; it sets further as it cools, so stop when it coats the back of a spoon and a drip on a cold plate wrinkles only slightly. Readiness cues: the plum skins have melted into the sauce, the colour is deep ruby and the taste balances sweet and sharp. This is a high-acid preserve: in the fridge it keeps 2 months, or water-bath process sealed jars for 20 minutes to keep them in a cupboard for a year (refrigerate once opened). Discard if you see mould, it fizzes, the lid bulges or leaks, or it smells fermented. Chef's tip: add 2 Chinese salted preserved plums, mashed, for the authentic salty-sour depth.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 2 ¼ lb ripe dark plumsstoned weight about 850 g
- 9 oz sugar
- ¾ cup white rice vinegarat least 5% acidity (check the label), or distilled white vinegar
- 1 oz fresh gingerfinely grated
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Chinese salted preserved plums (optional)stoned and mashed
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wash two 300 ml jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse, then put the jars in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes and simmer the lids in water; keep them hot.
10 minStep 2: Halve the 2 ¼ lb ripe dark plums, remove the stones and chop roughly.
10 minStep 3: Put the plums in a heavy pan with 9 oz sugar, ¾ cup white rice vinegar, 1 oz fresh ginger, 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, 1 tsp salt and the 2 Chinese salted preserved plums if using. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
5 minStep 4: Simmer over a low heat, stirring often, for 30–35 minutes, until the skins have melted, the sauce is deep ruby and it coats the back of a spoon. Blend smooth with a stick blender if you like.
35 minStep 5: Ladle the hot sauce into the hot jars, leaving 1 cm of space, wipe the rims and close. For fridge storage, cool and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
Step 6: To store in the cupboard, stand the closed jars on a rack in a deep pan, cover with 3 cm of water, bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Lift out and leave undisturbed for 24 hours; the lids should be sucked down. Keep up to a year; refrigerate after opening. Discard if mould, fizzing, a bulging or leaking lid or a fermented smell appears.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 75 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chinese plum sauce take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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