Tart and Spicy Asian Plum Sauce

Plum sauce - a pantry must have.  This one is definitely not as cloyingly sweet as the stuff you buy.  It is spicy and just a little tart.  Use it as a dip for egg rolls, as a baste on duck or chicken, with cheese and crackers...

Makes approximately 7 250-ml jars

Ingredients:

3 kg             plums (I used red and yellow plums)

2 med.         onion, diced

6 cloves       garlic

300 gr          sugar

600 ml         cider vinegar

100 ml         soy sauce

1 tbsp          ginger, minces

1 tbsp          English mustard powder

1 tsp            ground cinnamon

1 tsp            cayenne pepper

1/2 sp          ground cloves

1/2 tsp         chili flakes

Directions

1. Stone and chop the plums, peel and dice the onions and peel and grate the garlic. Peel and finely mince the ginger.  Puree together in a food processor or blender, in batches, until smooth and put in a large, heavy-bottomed pan.

2. Add all of the other ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring regularly to prevent the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.

3. Simmer and stir steadily for 60-70 minutes until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about a third, keeping in mind it will thicken more once it cools. Taste the plum, and feel free to adjust the seasonings- more sugar? more spice? more red chilies?  

4. Ladle the sauce into warm, dry sterilised jars.  Gently tap the bottom of the bottles on a hard surface to remove any air bubbles and seal.   Process in a boiling water bath for approximately 10 minutes.

Enjoy!