These plum honey preserves are Balkan grandma magic in a jar. Plums are stuffed with walnuts, sprinkled with cinnamon, and slowly roasted in the oven. Then they’re stacked in jars, with sweet, sticky honey plum juice poured over every layer.
No sugar, no pectin and no preservatives added. Just plums, walnuts and a whole lot of honey. Probably the tastiest thing you’ll ever spoon out of a jar!
The Balkan’s best plum preserves with honey and walnuts
I thought I was absolutely done with plums for this year. Plums everywhere. Whatever you can think of that’s made of plums, we plummed it all.
Half of them were cooked into a sugar-free plum jam. Then, of course, came the obligatory plum dumplings (tradition is tradition), and the star of the season: a crispy plum strudel.
After that we made super cute plum parfaits and some delicious plum upside-down cakes. Oh, and I almost forgot, another plum cheesecake and a clafoutis too. Done. Finished. Not looking at another plum until next year.
But then this plum preserve recipe, which went totally viral in the Balkans, kept jumping out of my social media feeds. Everyone went crazy about it the moment the plums started ripening in Bosnia.
It’s called “slatko od šljiva”, and “slatko” literally means “sweet”. It’s a simple (Balkan-style) method to preserve fruit, usually tucked away for winter and served to guests with a cup of coffee. So much for being done with plums.
The plum version of slatko is usually made with plums and sugar, similar to homemade jam, but much sweeter. We’ve made “slatko” before, with preserved chicken of the woods mushrooms and as a unique-tasting black trumpet mushroom jam recipe.
But since our honey bees made some very aromatic honey this year (thank you, my beautiful bees!), of course we had to try these preserves with honey. And they came out great!
Instead of white sugar, the walnut-stuffed plums slowly roast in honey (below and on top), and the juices they release turn into a thick, glossy honey plum sauce. The result is a super delicious treat with a very special taste and a softer sweetness than sugar could ever give.
I bet you’ll start collecting walnuts like a squirrel every plum season, just to make these preserves!
Ingredients (and substitutes)
FRESH PLUMS – For a 24 oz (710 ml) jar you’ll need about 45 plums, depending on the type and size. Every variety works for this recipe, and they all contain natural pectin. With bigger plums, adjust the roasting time and add a few extra minutes. Filling more glass jars? Use more plums.
HONEY – We’ve got some very worthy bees, so of course we used our own honey. It’s a mixture of flower honey with chestnut honey leading. As long as it’s pure honey, use whatever you’ve got, and let me know how other types turn out! The original recipe uses sugar (1¾ cups or 350 g for a jar), so if honey isn’t your thing, you can always swap for sugar.
WALNUTS – Look for walnut halves or quarters, not ground walnuts. You need pieces that fit snugly inside a plum. Pecans work too, if that’s what you have in the pantry.
CINNAMON – Two tablespoons add a bit of cozy warmth to the juice. Skip it if you like, or add other spices like nutmeg or cloves.
How to make honey plum preserves with walnuts
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 374°F (190°C).
Wash the plums and pull off any stems. Score each plum on one side with a sharp knife and pop out the pit. Don’t cut all the way through, just halfway, enough to fit a walnut half. If your plums are on the small side, use smaller pieces like walnut quarters.
STEP 2: Pour 1/3 of the honey into the bottom of a baking pan. Pick a pan that fits all the plums tightly, so they don’t fall apart while roasting. This is the key part of this method, so don’t grab the biggest pan you own. Gently lay the plums on top of the honey, walnuts looking up, and keep going until every plum has a spot.
STEP 3: Pour the rest of the honey over the plums, spreading it evenly over every plum and walnut. No walnut left behind.
STEP 4: Sprinkle with cinnamon. How much is up to you. If you like it gentle, two tablespoons are plenty.
STEP 5: Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 356°F (180°C). Once the plums start releasing their juices, lower the temperature to 329°F (165°C) and roast for another 50 minutes. Don’t stir. Hands off. Go do something else.
While the plums are in the oven, sterilize the jars. Boil them for 5 minutes, or, if there’s space left in the oven, pop them in for the last 10 minutes.
STEP 6: When the plums are done, gently (very gently) spoon them into a jar, pouring some of the juice from the bottom of the pan over each layer. Don’t press or squash them in too tightly. Repeat all the way to the top and finish with a layer of honey juice. Close tightly with a clean lid and follow the storage tips below.
A few tips for the best plum honey preserves
Use plums that aren’t soft. Slightly underripe ones are the best. They’re easier to cut open, and they keep their shape while roasting in honey. Here’s a little secret: firmer plums also hold more natural pectin, so the juice thickens up beautifully.
Pack them tightly in the pan. This helps them keep their shape and stops the walnuts from popping out while the plums soften in the oven. Runaway walnuts still taste great, though. This is purely about looks.
You can roast them less. If you don’t love the look of fully roasted plums, shorten the oven time. As long as the honey juice is thick and sticky, the preserves will last and taste just as good.
Spoon them in slowly. Move each plum very gently into the jar with a spoon. Pour the juice over each layer and add a generous amount on top, so everything stays fully covered.
Chase out the air bubbles. Before you close the jar with the lid, give it a little shake or poke around with a wooden skewer. You want every bubble gone and every plum completely covered in honey.
Storage instructions and how to use these preserves
Turn the warm preserves upside down, tuck the jars under a blanket, and let them cool slowly to room temperature. Before storing, check that each jar lid is still nice and tight.
Store your cooled preserves in a cool, dark place (the pantry is perfect), and they’ll last a whole year, till another plum season comes into sight. Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge.
You can serve them as “slatko”, pile them on toast, stir them into homemade yogurt, spoon them over ice cream or grain-free granola, tuck them into cookies or bake them into delicious plum desserts.
Oh, and do hide one jar in the back of the pantry for March. Future you will be so grateful.
FAQ
Sadly, no. Try stuffing a walnut into a blackberry and see how that goes. Berries need a medium saucepan, not an oven. Save them for your own jam, like blueberry jam or blackberry jam. Boil the fruit over medium-high heat, add honey, lower it to a gentle constant simmer, and stir so nothing sticks to the side of the saucepan. Around the 20-minute mark, drag the back of a wooden spoon through it. If the line holds, you’ve got amazing berry honey jams.
Yes. A tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice over the plums before roasting works great. It adds a little touch of freshness, if your personal favorites lean tangy. Save the leftover syrup for future use over fruit salads.
More plum desserts
Here are some more delicious plum dessert recipes you might like:
Loved these plum honey preserves? Take a second and leave a star ★ rating. I’d love to hear in the comments how yours turned out! ♥
Recipe
Plum Honey Preserves With Walnuts
EQUIPMENT
- 1 baking pan
- 1 glass jar (24 oz/710 ml)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Turn on the oven and heat it up to 374°F (190°C).
- Rinse the plums and remove the stems. Make one lengthwise slit in each plum, going only halfway through, and take out the stone.
- Tuck a walnut half into each opening. For smaller plums, a walnut quarter fits better.
- Spread about ⅓ cup (115 g) of the honey over the bottom of a baking dish, just big enough to hold all the plums snugly.
- Arrange the stuffed plums in the dish, nut side up, packing them close together so they hold their shape.
- Drizzle the remaining ⅔ cup (235 g) honey over the top, making sure every plum and walnut gets coated.
- Dust evenly with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, or more if you like a stronger spice.
- Roast for 15 minutes at 356°F (180°C). Then turn the heat down to 329°F (165°C) and roast for 50 more minutes without stirring.
- Meanwhile, sterilize your jars in boiling water for 5 minutes, or put them in the oven for the final 10 minutes of roasting.
- Carefully transfer the plums to the hot jars one by one, adding a spoonful of pan syrup after each layer. Keep them loosely packed.
- Top off each jar with syrup so the plums are completely submerged, tap out any air bubbles, and seal tightly.
- Flip the jars upside down, cover with a blanket, and let them cool slowly to room temperature. Check the lids, then store in a cool, dark place.