Easy Stewed Prunes
Store bought stewed prunes contain high fructose corn syrup. With homemade, the only thing added is water. Use only plain dried prunes with nothing added, except maybe potassium sorbate. - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Makes: about 30 prunes
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces plain dried pitted prunes
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
Instructions:
- Place prunes in a saucepan, separating any that are stuck together.
- Add water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Store in a covered container, refrigerated.
I add 1/2 tsp cinnamon & 1/2 tsp vanilla. Delicious!
i see no reason to cook them.have made them just adding water, cinnamon stick and fridging, often with apricots. A long peel of lemon, and maybe some orange. Delicious. My mother always made stewed prunes with coffee and lemon peel as one of our Christmas breakfast foods, ( our feast was at breakfast) with some sort of rum icing topping, whose name escapes me now. I never ate it, I just wanted the prunes. I don’t think she cooked them. Might have added hot coffee to them, and let them stew for a few days. They seem to get better and better over about a week.
Thank you. I have been looking for this recipe. My grandma made it and it haS been so long I did not remember.
Always at holiday meals– stuffed prunes. Just stew, cool and stuff with cream cheese. They are delicious
I have a recipe from 1937 that requires cooked prunes. Anyone know if stewed prunes is the same as cooked prunes? Not able to answer the question with searches so far. Thanks in advance.
Hi Ben,
Stewing is with added liquid, cooking is not.
Its probably for oven roasted prunes
Cooked prunes and stewed prunes are the same thing. It’s just a matter of what your mother or grandmother called them.
My mother stewed prunes and cooled but forgot to refrigerate. Its been over 24 hrs. She wants to keep them. No way right?!
I think it would be like leaving fruit out on the counter. I personally would not hesitate.
I remember my Mom serving stewed prunes with a cinnamon stick over wide noodles—we had this on Friday’s because we didn’t eat meat. I loved it.
Is this familiar to any one?
I remember not eating meat on Fridays.
Add vanilla and cinnamon for a delicious twist
How much Vanilla & Cinnamon?
Better the wrinkles on the prunes than on me! Thank you
Good one! I needed a good laugh to start my day.
Love stewed prunes. Got back to them recently. My Mom used to cook them with several slices of lemon and a bit of sugar. Yum!
I just told my husband the same thing about my mom’s way of cooking prunes.I am going to do the same.
Very good website
I love the recipes and the suggestions
And everybody is very civil
RFA
Lol, thank you for the smile
I love stewed prunes but haven’t had them in a very long time. My grandmother made stew prunes and apricots. So good. She also made something called Prune Whip which I detested!!
Thank you for the recipe.
My mom made prune whip and I loved it. Hers was delicious. I think she made a sauce to top it with.
Hi. How do I warm them up to serve tomorrow morning?? Thanks
I would warm them them in a small sauce pan, in their liquid, over low heat.
Thanks for this easy recipe! I like stewed prunes with a syrup-like liquid. Does the water make this kind of consistency? Does using some proportion of prune juice with water help that?
I also prefer mine a little syrupy, so I tried the same recipe she offered, however I simmered mine longer, to reduce the water, and when it was the consistency I like, I removed them from the heat. Hope you like them, enjoy!
I love these served warm with warm bird’s custard. My nana used to make this for me and it brings back some good memories.
What is warm birds custard, please?
Thanks! ?
Bird’s Custard is a brand of powdered custard mix. I’ve seen it in stores in a cylindrical paper can.
I haven’t had Bird’s for so long! This is a great reminder to try to find it in the USA. When hitchhiking in Europe (back when it was fun) I’d cook rhubarb and Bird’s every night in the hostel. Or, if caught short, I’d use roadside burdock. Yum.
A little confused here … That the soaking makes the prunes easier to eat, and absorb, I get that.
My question is, when I buy them at my bulk food retailer, they’re already soft, and easy to eat … Why would I need to soak them? (In my case, it has been recommended for constipation.)
Hello – I think the point here is not to make the prunes soft — because you’re right – prunes today are a lot softer than they were back in the day. The point of stewing prunes is to add water, which helps digestion and regularity. If you go to a hospital or a restaurant that serves prunes, they are almost always stewed. Most recipes for stewed prunes give you servings the size of a small custard size dish of stewed prunes in a “sauce” that is essentially prune juice. It’s just another way to eat prunes and get some of your eight glasses of water. It’s not as portable and convenient as dried prunes – but it does provide a little variety. Cheers!
A prune straight out of the box is a pretty concentrated flavor. Stewing plumps them up and makes them more fruitlike.
I add Captain Morgan Spiced Rum to stewed prunes (sometimes apricots too) for a healthful holiday side dish. Most of the alcohol evaporates when heated.
Not ALL, I hope
I have that! I’m trying it right now LOL. I think a little whipped cream would be good too.
Just made some and waiting for them to cool. Will serve over yogurt for breakfast tomorrow.
Thank you for all your healthy and delicious recipes!
If you are using pureed prunes for baking, I have found using the baby food pureed prunes to save me time and effort.
When my mom was in a nursing home recovering from a stroke, at mealtime each resident had a stewed prune dipped in flaxseed meal on a little saucer as part of their routine.
Thanks Jenny. I needed to stew some prunes, figs and raisins and didn’t know how much water, heat or time was needed. I also poured some of the water from the stewed fruit onto the ground flaxseeds. They were less dry and nicer to eat. Thanks for posting.
Why stop at one or two dried fruits?
Plumi Moos (Mennonite version of stewed fruit)
2 quarts water
1 cup dried apples
1 cup prunes
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried peaches
1/2 cup dried apricots
1 slice lemon (optional)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup flour or 2 TB cornstarch or (as my mother made it) 2-3 TB minute tapioca
Cut fruits and cook in water until very well done. Prepare paste by mixing sugar, flour/cornstarch/tapioca, salt, cinnamon and 1/4 cup cold water. Add to fruit, stirring until slightly thickened.
Often served as dessert with a few tsp. whipping cream, ice cream, etc. In my family we would have cold roast beef with a side of plumi moos (minus the ice cream) for Sunday lunch. Everything prepared the day before.
Enjoy
My mom made a kind of rice cake. She might have used nut-roll dough since she usually made it at the same time. If I remember correctly, it consisted of 2 layers of dough with rice pudding
sandwiched between then baked. If it helps, the recipe probably came from Hungary. We would be so grateful if anyone can help. It was so delicious.
My mother used to stew the prunes with a slice of lemon and sometimes with dried apricots. Yummy!! I just stewed some very dried prunes I had forgotten about with some lemon slices and some clementina slices. delicious! just took 10 minutes. cant wait to try the vanilla and the cinnamin. and the apple juice. thanks for all the great ideas.
All great recipes…anyone remember when Dannon Yogurt had Prune Whip as one of their flavors?…it was YUMMY!…I make my own now using Greek Yogurt..
Just this morning I was wondering why a yogurt company doesn’t make a prune whip (aka dried plum) flavor. I make my own, too, with Greek Yogurt.
Early 60s Dannon made a prune yogurt. My favorire. Had to go to a speciality whole foods store. Yogurt wasnt on market chains yet.
Activia has a prune/plum yoghurt, but I have only found it at Walmart. Mixing your own stewed or pureed prunes with plain Greek yoghurt would be just as good. I also add diced papaya when I have some, sprinkle with flaxseed meal.
I have my husband’s old family recipe for prune cake. It calls for a cup of cooked, mashed prunes. Any idea how long I would need to simmer them to ensure they mash?
oh boy, that sounds good. And mashed prunes sounds like it would also go well in carrot cake, my alltime favourite cake. with lots of orange and lemon zest. cardamom, mm.
I have stewed dried prunes in orange juice and also in flavored tea…I like the idea of orange zest so I am going to cook some up in water to cover and zest. Thank all of you for your comments and suggestions! Almost feels like a cooking club.:)
My grandmother did these often enough that there were always stewed prunes in the fridge. They were so good! I’d forgotten them until my doctor recommended them recently to counteract one of the side effects of chemo.
I hope the stewed prunes are still working for you and wishing you good health.
I have very low potassium due to cancer surgery. Many things I can’t eat. Low potassium causes horrible cramps. Prunes help a lot. What side effect from Chemo did you have? All the best,
Nancy
Nancy, I followed all the limited information I was given about chemo for 4 years and practically shut down my gut completely. I was even advised to submit to chemo again while I could not stop vomiting or go to the bathroom. I finally looked into a naturopath to find out I am allergic to fructose, I can handle no fats, and everything that usually works was causing my gut problems. As we work within my restrictions I no longer look like the walking dead. Look for a naturopath to help you heal. You may even surprise yourself and kill the cancer when your body is working correctly. But, know most naturopaths did not accept insurance payments, though some do. The are also medical groups that charge a monthly fee so only the treatments are extra. Look beyond and I pray your answer is right around the corner.
Thank you for helping.
Thanks for that information.i was never sure about naturopaths but you spoke highly of them,making me want to look a little deeper.glad i came upon your story.thanks again………And mayGOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU. amen.
Ps i have cancer also.
PRUNE WHIP.
Long gone Aunt always made it.
Prunes and bananas and whip cream in a bowl. Prunes were soft but not mushed.
Did she boil the prunes?
I made prune whip in home ec. many years ago, the recipe is in an old Betty Crocker cook book. It was Eisenhowers favorite desert
Thanks for all the tips. I remember eating prunes my mother made. They were good. Brings back memories.
How long can it be storaged in fridge?
My grandfather would wash oranges before peeling and then dice-up the orange peels and stew them with the prunes. It adds a complementary flavor to the prunes. He served the prunes with the orange peels mixed in. I’ve left them in and I’ve taken them out. I find there’s less resistance to the dish. Especially from younger folks, when the orange peels are removed. Remember: Resist the temptation to go too heavy on the orange peels, as a little goes a long way.
instead of the orange peel, use some orange zest an that woyld give more flavo an easier an less likel to hav a bitter taste from the white pith
Hi Jenny, do you know where to find plain, dried pitted prunes? I’ve only seen the big brand names in the grocery stores.
Also, not to sound dumb, but do I have to use dried prunes, or can prune recipes be made using the fresh plum?
Check the bulk food section of your grocery store. Sometimes they have packaged generic foods like nuts & raisins. Theu may also have prunes too.
For the prunes I by bulk pack at Sams Club. Great quality and cost effective. I’m going to try a drop of wild orange essential oil to see what it does for the taste in lieu of zest.
Even the big name brands are just plain dried prunes… you should also be able to find stores brand at a lower cost.
Fresh would not work the same as dried.
I just bought a bag of dried pitted orunes in CVS. They were buy 1 get 1 half off for thr 8 oz. bag.
I got a 7 oz bag at Dollar General for $2 and a 12 oz bag at Save A Lot grocery for $2.69. The 12 oz bag prunes were plumper.
Walmart sells them
I always called it their generic brand it’s the cheapest one
It’s 18 ounces, called (Southern Grove) brand
Walmart’s brand is the best IMO oddly enough. Here in Indianapolis Walmart’s brand is “Great Value.” They also have really good sugar free apple sauce. (I am loving this website! Thank you Jenny Jones!)
Don’t use fresh plums. The dried prunes can be found in Walgreens. They’re 3 for $8 or on sale 2 for $4
Trader Joe’s sells dried prunes without sulfates (sp?)
I get dried pitted and non-sorbate prunes at Trader Joe’s and stew them for my slow-moving get.Delicious and helpful.
Most health food stores have pitted prunes in bulk bins as well as some bagged varieties.
None have preservatives which pleases me and offers better taste. But they need refrigeration soon after purchasing or will
develop a dusty whitish mold. This can be rinsed off however.
thank you for the good recipe…
MY AUNT USE TO MAKE THIS BUT IT WAS A THICK SAUCE AND SIMI SWEET SHE PUT IT OVER HOT BISCUITS I TRY TO MAKE IT MYSELF BUT IT NEVER CAME OUT LIKE HERS. DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE AS I DESCRIBED
Pinch of lemon, table spoon of brown sugar or maple syrup. I bet that’s the secret of your aunts yummy prunes
To make the syrup thicker, start by using just enough water to cover prunes. After it begins to simmer, keep adding just enough water to cover the prunes. Simmer your prunes low and slow, paying close attention to the water level, and remember to keep adding enough water to cover. Stew for apx. 2 hours, then let the pot rest until cool, apx.2-3 hours.Then refrigerate your stewed prunes in a glass jar. The water will have developed into a think, delicious syrup.
Thanks for that recipe!
That sounds like an old German recipe we had at Thanksgiving (many, many years ago). I believe it required quartering the prunes and simmering them for about 30 – 45 minutes. I don’t recall measurements, but I think you’d want a bit more water than needed for stewed prunes. The prunes and juice were left overnight in the refrigerator, then reheated before the feast. Sometimed, raisins were added. The result could be thickened if needed with a bit of arrowroot or corn startch if needed. I think some cloves or cinnamon may have been added. It went well with ham and biscuits. Hope this helps.
Yes Capt. Dave! My mother made them and I distinctly remember flavors of cinnamon and cloves. Very delicious. Even after they were refrigerated they were good the next day straight from the fridge.
I like to use apple juice instead of water- makes them almost a treat!
I like to put a cinnamon stick in the water while they stew! Extra flavor!!
I have heard that although deliciously tasty the addition of cinnamon to the prunes counteracts the digestive benefits of the prunes. Is this true?
I havent heard that but cinnamon is what they call a fat blocker. So, i could see how that could be a possibility. Anything that would naturally block your body from absorbing fat, certainly seems counter productive to what prunes are trying to do! 😉
Actually, “blocking” fat absorption and rushing fat (and everything else) on through the digestive system are kind of the same thing. But, that’s all I know about the answer to the question.
Opinion: too many worries over the interactions of foods for me. If you like them with cinnamon, eat them that way.
Nice recipe!
good idea