This plum fruit cheese with lime is the perfect addition to your cheeseboard or antipasti platter. Richer and firmer than jam it slices just like cheese.
I do like preserves that step out of the jam on toast box and lend themselves to a savoury repast. I love the mix of sweet with savoury and serving sweet preserves with cheese is a classic partnership.
Of course not all preserves will snuggle well on a cheese platter. Some are just too cloyingly sweet and don’t hit it off at all well in a cheesy partnership.
But fruit cheeses are made using fruits that will pair well with savouries and their more robust, slice-able consistency means they are also easier to deal with on crackers and oatcakes.
This Plum Cheese with Lime is a perfect example and goes beautifully with good strong cheeses. Make some now and it will be perfect for foodie gifts for friends at Christmas.
Lime
The addition of lime brings an sharpness and zestiness while the vanilla adds depth and a sweetness. Tossing black peppercorns into the mix add heat and even more character.
This is no plain and simple Plum Cheese, this is one with real oomph in the flavour stakes that can hold it’s own against the oldest and most pungent cheeses.
What is fruit cheese?
I like to make my fruit cheeses in tiny jars that are just enough for a party cheese platter. This isn’t like jam where you ladle it on to toast with a devil-may-care attitude, with plum cheese (or any fruit cheese) a little goes a long way and a small slice is sufficient.
When you see Membrillo (the Spanish speciality fruit cheese made from the quince fruit) it is always sold in tiny jars, never in huge half pint jars like jam.
The set is all-important here, you don’t want a sloppy jelly or even something spoonable, it must be firm and something one would slice. That’s how it gets its name as a cheese, nothing to do with cheese itself or the fact that it goes so well with cheese, no, it is simply because it is firm and slices rather like a good cheese.
Check out my blackcurrant and rosemary fruit cheese too and also my Spanish style cherry cheese.
Check out my post on jam making and setting points and follow your instincts. If it hasn’t set up in the 40 minutes I have worked with, then just simmer it a bit longer. Remember to use sterilised jars for your finished product, and a jar with a wide mouth is always easier to get into than anything with a narrow opening.
New to preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in no time at all.
Just check out these handy articles to get you heading in the right direction fast;
How to make great jam and marmalade
How to make chutney and relish
How to sterilise jars and bottles
I just made a small amount here using one pound of plums, double up the recipe to make as much as you want.
How long will this fruit cheese last?
This will last up to a year in a cool cupboard. Once opened store in fridge and use up within a month.
Looking for more easy plum recipes to try? Then check these out before you go;
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
PS This makes a great wee foodie gift for Christmas. Looking for more ideas for this then check out my cookbooks available here;
Naughty & Nice Edible Gifts For Christmas
Plum Fruit Cheese With Lime
Ingredients
- 450 g plums red plums
- 1 lime juice and zest
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- Sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the plums and pat dry before cutting in half but leave the stone in them as they add flavour and pectin.
- Place plums in a pan along with the other ingredients and just a little bit of water so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Cook until the plums are completely tender and squishy.
- Remove from heat and press the pulp through a sieve with the back of a wooden spoon to get as much juice as possible.
- Weigh the resulting juice and measure out exactly the same quantity of sugar.
- Pour juice and sugar into a heavy based pan and slowly bring to the boil allowing the sugar to dissolve completely.
- Lower the heat and simmer for approximately 40 minutes until it is thickened and has reached a good set.
- Carefully ladle into a small jar and pop on the lid.
Hi, I love the look of this recipe. Please could you specify how much and what type of sugar (i.e. caster, granulated or jam or fruit sugar) is best to use?
Thanks,
f
Hi Felicity
I just used granulated sugar for this recipe. I cannot specify the ammount as it depends on how much liquid you get after draining. As clearly stated in the recipe you want to measure the drained juice and use exactly the same weight in sugar.
Hope this helps you.
K x
Hi Karen,
I’m wondering if one needs to “water can” the glass jars after they have been filled in order to preserve them?
Thanks,
Anna
Hi Anna,
That is up to you, in UK we don’t tend to do the water bath technique and just keep our preserves as they are. K x
Hi! Can I use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla pod? Thanks!
Hi Maia
Yes you can use vanilla extract here. I’d use about 1 tsp
K
Hi Karon,
I made this recipe and it tasted delicious. However my result was not sliceable or even spreadable, it has the consistency and stickiness of toffee! Any hints on what to do to fix this? Do I reduce the number of plum seeds to reduce the pectin? Or do I reduce the boil time?
Thank you!
Hi Alisa
Thanks for getting in touch, all plums contain different levels of pectin so can set differently. I’d reduce the boiling time to get a spreadable paste. It’s all trial and error really.
K