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.
So, I have just spent 1.5 hours reading this post in its entirety. I have my mom’s old 1928 Boston Cooking School Cookbook. This was the precursor to the Fanny Farmer Cookbooks. She offers the following:
Stewed Prunes:
Wash Prunes
Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and soak for 2 hours. Then cook in same water until soft. When nearly cooked, add sugar or molasses to sweeten. May prefer addition of a small quantity of lemon juice.
Prune Whip:
1/2 lb prunes (about 165)
5 Egg Whites
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Wash and prepare as in above Stewed Prunes recipe above.
Remove pits if not already pitted. Rub prunes thru a strainer, add sugar, and cook five minutes; the mixture should be the consistency of marmalade, chill completely. Beat egg whites until stiff; add prune mixture gradually when cold, add lemon juice. Pile lightly on buttered pudding dish, bake 20 minutes in a slow oven (300 – 325 degrees). Serve cold with Boiled Custard.
Boiled Custard:
2 cups scalded milk
3 egg yokes
1/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Beat eggs slightly with a fork. Add sugar and salt; stir constantly while adding gradually hot milk. Cook in double boiler, continue stirring until mixture thickens and a coating is forming on the spoon, strain immediately, chill and flavor. If cooked too long the custard will curdle; should this happen, by using an egg-beater it may be restored to a smooth consistency,but custard will not be as thick. Eggs should be beaten slightly for custard; that it may be of smooth, thick consistency. To prevent scum from forming, cover with a perforated tin. When eggs are scarce, use 2 egg yolks an one-half tablespoon corn starch.
I love having this old (97 years) cookbook. So nice to refer to for older recipes and techniques.
Beth, you are so kind to share all of these details with everyone. Thank you.
I followed this recipe when my granddaughter (age 3) was constipated. After cooking the prunes, I put them in the blender to make a purée. Then I mixed them with a little unsweetened applesauce. She ate the whole cupful and enjoyed them. It worked great within hours. It is a very mild laxative.
l FREEZE My STEWED PRUNES. WOOKS GREAT..THEY TURN OUT EXCELLENT & DELICIOUS !!!
Just like my grandmother used to make.
Thank you!!!
I’ve used to eat Prune Juice and Prunes together after a meal of Chili and Beans to help with digestion and it felt like you were lighter than air afterwards…I recommend it about 3-4 times a week or as needed…
Prunes need nothing but water. Dump the prunes, pitted or not, into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then put on the lid and turn off the burner. Then go on with your day. Anytime they are cool enough to put into the fridge, do it, even hours later. Or, you can put them in the fridge hot if you protect the glass shelf with a potholder. But why? ALSO, don’t drain out the water unless you’re using the prunes in a recipe-
even then it’s full of the prunes’ nourishment. Why waste it? I’m 77, and believe me, I’ve stewed lots of prunes. The less you boil them, the better.
Thank you Mary for your “recipe” for stewed prunes. It certainly has taken the mystery out of the process.
Jenny was my mom’s name
She was always called Jean
Prunes….
Just yesterday I simmered 2 pounds of prunes with one pound of apricots, cubed pineapple, cut up an orange and a lemon
Used no water…
Added orange and mango juice and apple cider….cut up a large lemon and a large orange….
I use whatever I have on hand….always different
Have enough for the winter😁
Incredible, natural and does the trick…oops
and tasty too…
You got it lady!! I ate tons of them I know I’m 81👍
Closer to Sedona, AZ, on the creek side of HWY 89 in the Oak Creek Canyon used to be a slew of prune trees. We harvested our fill every year. Don’t know if they have survived over the years. This was in the 70s.
I was raised on prune plums and dried prunes. They were great for constipation. And they’re healthy for you. But we never drained them, we ate the prunes and the juice also. Why throw a good part of the prunes out when you can drink it.
I haven’t had stewed prunes in years. My Nana made them when I was a kid. I’m making them now. Thanks Jenny! I love all your recipes! Especially those cabbage rolls
Can prunes be stewed and then canned (water bath canning) for long term storage?
My 91 year young wants stewed prunes. She requested a bit of sugar be added. My mom never made them with additional sugar. Any idea how much sugar I should add? Thanks for your recipe!
I meant to say…my 91 year old MIL!
See if you can sweeten with xylitol or stevia. Neither seem to have the negative side-effects that sugar has.
Thanks! Good suggestion. I just don’t know how much to use??
Fyi: Xylitol is poisonous for dogs in case your MIL has a pet.
If your MIL is not diabetic or has other health concerns, then try a couple of level teaspoons of sugar. You can taste it to see if it needs more. Start small then you can add more if needed.
Stevia or monk fruit (a liquid) would be my second choice, but it is so much sweeter, you can’t add much. Try a half packet of stevia for starters. It also depends on the volume of prunes you are stewing.
I always add a spoonful of orange marmalade when I stew a pot of prunes. Gives a little sweetness and a wonderful flavor
2 tsp sugar, 2 shakes cinnamon, 8 oz Pineapple or orange juice and 8 oz water. Add prunes. Boil, then simmer for 15 min. Cool, then refrigerate.
I’ve read that maple syrup is a good swetener option though I would think could get rather sticky?
Make sure if there are dogs in the house don’t consume xylitol. It is toxic to them.
Make without the sugar. Then let your loved one add to taste.
My grandmother was famous for her prune cakes. When she passed away, my mother picked up the tradition and baked one for each of her children at Christmas. The cookbook with the famous recipe was willed to me. But the recipe calls for cooked and mashed prunes and nowhere in there does it say how to cook them. I was never able to watch the full process and now there is no one to ask. I don’t want the tradition to die with me…any suggestions?
Thank you in advance.
Hi DL
I’m interested in knowing what type of plum cake your grandmother and mom made. There are so many plum cake recipes out there that I wouldn’t know where to start!!
Thanks!
Are prunes just dried plums?
Yes, they are.
Prunes are made from specific varieties of European plums, like the Italian Prune Plum. They are higher in fiber than many American varieties, and the pits usually come out cleanly (free stone). I think they are much tastier than juicier varieties like the Santa Rosa plums, but I may just be biased towards Freestone plums in general.
Does anyone know how to make a prune crisp or cobbler?
I would be very interested in the recipe. Would you be willing to share
DL, I cannot imagine any other way then the recipe Jenny presented. Then drain them and use them! I have been stewing prunes for many years and my mom before that. There is no other way that I can think of! You can stew them low and slow or boil them for several minutes. Just want them to be soft. Don’t hesitate give it a go! Good luck and what a blessing to have this special recipe.
DL, I cannot imagine any other way then the recipe Jenny presented. Then drain them and use them! There is no other way that I can think of! You can stew them low and slow or boil them for several minutes. Just want them to be soft. Don’t hesitate give it a go! Good luck and what a blessing to have this special recipe.
Hopefully, you figured it out for the holidays but I thought I would share that I have a prune bread recipe that calls for chopped cooked prunes. I just stew dried prunes, drain them and go from there after they have cooled. My recipe calls for chopped.
Mary I would love to have your recipe for prune bread. Thank you very much.
Hi DL, would you be willing to share the recipe of your mom’s prune cake with me? I would love and appreciate it. Thank you!
I would like to have your recipe for prune cakes please..sounds good..I have a bad problem with constipation. Thank you so much
i would like to ask a question……if i make these stewed prunes, how long can i expect them to last in the fridge? i notice the container sold in the grocery store states only 48 hours, which means i need to toss most of the product in the garbage. wasteful and expensive at the same time. i appreciate your feedback. thx, judi
Maybe they meant 48 hours at room temperature. I have kept mine for at least a week in the fridge.
They’ll last a week in the fridge for sure. I read that on the store bought container too, 48 hours. So, the great thing is making them yourself is so much better, no sugar! I’m simmering a batch right now. Thanks for the easy recipe!
This was my first attempt at cooking. When I was in elementary school in Brooklyn it was taught in the Home Economics class.
Forgot to mention…that was in the 1930’s…I am 91 now and still making them!!
Wow! That’s so good to hear ! At 91! I look forward to being a light to others .keep up the good work! You must be doing something right living to be 91 is a blessing!
Just wondering how long they keep in fridge. I remember we seemed to always have them when I was growing up. My mom put a piece of lemon in pot, too.
Addendum to my previous comment…Forgot to mention…that was in the 1930’s…I am 91 now and still making them!!
I remember Home Ec class. I wish they would bing it back. Reading, writing, arithmetic, and cooking are all skills we need.
I lived with my grandparents until I was nine and we ate a couple of stewed prunes each day. I also think a car maintenance course should be given in school.
I’m going to give them a try!, Thanks for information
I’m 85years now(sounds awful) anyway my mother made stewed prunes she would add lemon juice.Mom also made stewed rhubarb she called it a spring tonic.Thank you,Rose
Being 85 dos not sound awful. It’s wonderful to be 85 and online sharing yourself with us. By the way, I love rhubarb. We used to eat it dipping the ends in sugar!
Oh how I always looked forward to visiting my grama in the ’50s and ’60s…she grew rhubarb in her garden every year and I couldn’t wait to dig in, wash a few fresh stalks, dip ’em in sugar and enjoy. I think she enjoyed watching me as much as I enjoyed eating her harvest. Thank you – I hadn’t thought of those memories for many years.
If you have the time, fill any size canning jar with dried prunes, then fill the jar up with boiling water. Seal, let cool then put in refrigerator for week, at least. Makes the best syrupy prunes and the longer they set, the better they get.
Do you warm them before eating ?
Mike: take your pick. Either way is good.
Yes, by all means…warm them up!
Thank you! I will try this as soon as I purchase some Mason jars. I love simple recipes! It sounds simply delicious,!
My grandma and then also my mom, would take the stewed prunes and drain them, then cut a slit lengthwise in them, remove the pit, and then fill them with a dab of cottage cheese. They were delicious!
I live in Cleveland, Ohio. Locations are as follows:
Marc’s, Heinens, ALDIs, Farmer markets, Dave’s Market
I make this recipe but add some brown sugar. My last batch, I bijouzed them up. Added fresh mandarine pieces, cut up, cinamon stick, a few cloves, a wee bit of allspice and a dash of marjoram. It was too DIE for!!!
Pity. If you could only taste the prunes the way they are you would find the sugar an abomination.
That is the way my mom and I stew them sometimes! No added sugar just added flavor. It’s own dessert!
I found a can of ground coffee in my mother’s cabinet and she.had put dried prunes layered in the can.
As she was on her death bed, I tried to ask her. But she heard me but never responded.
Anyone know why she did this?
Still, I am curious.
See a comment by Alison, November 29, 2020, 3:37 am.
Alison mentions that her mother used to put coffee in with the prunes. Maybe your grandmother did the same or similar thing, adding coffee flavour to the prunes.
Correction – something your mother might have done, not your grandmother!!!!
Where can you buy prunes to stew? I can only find pitted dried prunes.
I’m pretty sure that is the kind she meant. She says dried prunes, and not having a pit is a benefit, so…
Prunes are dried plums. The pitted Sunsweet prunes are the prunes you stew. I guess you could dry your own plums till they shrivel but why? We purchase ours at Walmart.
Dried prunes ARE the ones you stew 🙂 Any of them! I’ve been doing it since college. My mom taught me. You can’t miss!
Aldi’s
I always bought prunes with juice in a jar, asI really liked them and they help with constipation. Now I see I can produce my own prunes with a little boiling water and possibly some added flavoring. Goodbye High Fructose Corn Syrup.
No fancy preparations! . . . My grandmother, who struggled constantly with constipation, used to simmer a few pitted prunes for about 5 minutes; let cool a few minutes; then eat them. Now that we have microwaves, I put 5-6 pitted prunes in a small microwave-safe bowl, add 1/3 cup water, place in microwave, setting timer for 1-2 minutes on power level 1 or 2. They turn out soft, moist and delicious.
Thanks for a quick, concise, easy recipe,,,just what I wanted.
how long do cooked prunes last in refrigerator
I don’t know, they never last long enough to Answer that question.
I cook up 750g (26 ozs) put in sealed container and had them 2.5 weeks with no issues
Lord, I sincerely Thank You, 🙌 for this wonderful group of people that I have happened upon today!
Each one of you have blessed me, and one another in ways you may not fully understand!
And Jenny Can Cook– thank you for this platform!
I’m signing off for now. Cherokee
Thanks for the reminder…my grandmother would say “cover them and then some and cook low and slow”. We liked them falling apart & syrupy. A restaurant near me serves stewed prunes and apricots on their roast pork dinner, it’s delicious. Really no need for any other flavoring.
My mom stewed the prunes by boiling/ cooking them with water then made a custard and poured the custard over a few prunes for a dessert. Yummy! Making this tonight.
Would like to have custard recipe after prunes are stewed.
Here’s the one my Granndmother used –
Recipe: Custard Sauce
Beat 4 eggs
Add 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup more for sweeter sauce.
2 tsp. flour in sugar
1 quart milk.
1. Blend together in mixing bowl.
2. Pour into 2 quart sauce pan (pot), and place on stove over medium low heat for about 13 minutes. Use # 6 on gas stove.
3. Stir continuously while cooking (to prevent curdling), until it begins to thicken.
4. Don’t thicken too much as it will thicken more while standing.
5. Take off heat as soon as done or it will whey (separate into solids and liquid).
4. Add 1 tsp. vanilla when it comes off stove and 1 large piece of butter (1/4 cup or more)
The more butter the richer.
Serve while warm.
Save any remaining in refridgerator..
Reheat in saucepan over stove, while stiffing slowly (never use microwave)
Just buy Birds Custard powder at the grocery store, so easy to make. If you haven’t had prunes and custard, you’re in for one of the greatest treats ever!
In the 1940’s, I remember my mother stewing prunes and then adding them to cooked oatmeal! Oh so delicious!
Shu, I really enjoy oatmeal, and have just recently been introduced to prunes! Never thought about putting the two together!😋
Thanks for the wonderful tip!😄
My favourite breakfast is overnight oats with stewed prunes….so healthy and delicious.
Shu- my grandmother did the same! And she made it with the oatmeal she had left on the stove pilot overnight. And we had breakfast while her coffee percolated! 🙂 🙂 🙂
This sounds delicious
So I have a son that has on going UTI from a super pubic Catheter he can not have high doses of vitamin C as it tends to cause more stone how many prunes to give daily that he would from 2-3 for constipation
Consult with his doctor.
One thing to keep in mind is not to rely just on prunes to do the job. They do have a chemical thing going on, which is why they work! But you don’t need very much.
Start with a couple every-other-day; see how he responds. Adjust accordingly.
If he likes fruit smoothies, maybe add in a couple along w Strawberries, banana, apple. (a yogurt added will give it some body, or use some protein powder or Ensure type protein drink). You can get your 5-9 veggies&fruits in a couple servings.
ABOVE ALL, consult your Dr, and/or Nutritionist. They know how stuff affects *your* kid, and will guide you. You can consult your County Health Dept Advice Nurse, who might give you other resources, often free.
I use to get UTIs often. I started taking cranberry capsules. No more UTI’s!!! For a young child, buy cranberry powder from an herbal store & put it in a smoothie.
Nutrition facts.com reports that scientific research indicates that 8 prunes a day will eliminate constipation.
No cloves ?
At times I like to add a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of cloves and a few slices of citrus, like lemon or orange. Or instead, I switch it up by adding dried Med. apricots. Yummy.
I read something just today, about putting cinnamon on prunes (something I confess I’d never heard of): *avoid cinnamon* because it has the opposite effect from prunes! (This applies only if you’re looking to help with constipation; cinnamon has reportedly got the opposite effect– helps diarrhea.) Personally I think it’s probably fine, it’s mostly bulk/fiber that’s doing the job, though there is a sort of chemical synergy going on, they say.
Thanks Jenny for another nice recipe I recall from childhood ♡
I just add cold water and the prunes stew in frig overnight.. I also add blueberries…
You can buy prunes that are packaged dry as well as in the can, but should you buy pitted prunes (does pitted prunes mean with the pit in or pit out? Thanks
“Pitted” means without the pit.
Hey everyone, although they say “pitted” on the packaging, still be aware that it’s done mechanically, and some prunes may still have stone fragments in them😁
Pitted means the pits have been removed
Pitted means No Pit. Sometimes though you might get a little shell of the pit!
Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.
Thank you for all the comments folks have send
I red every one + now am going to try some of the
recipes..
Thank you
Thank you for all the comments folks have send
I red every one + now am going to try some of the
recipes..
I don’t want to be a snob but the French is my prune of choice. The type of prune does matter greatly. Go through Iherb. Get Saint Dalfour. And get the ones with pitts. They are far more juicy. Treat yourself. Pay the extra and you will go to heaven! St. Peter will personally thank you.
That’s the brand I use and they are the best prunes I’ve ever had, even straight out of the jar. 😋
Jenny, Duncan, thanks for this tip,
as I’ve noticed that in my grocery store prunes–some are tender and soft, and some are downright chewy and tough😳