Robert Perlen's favorite show-time snack.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Drying time: 6-10 hours
First seen in: Ep 14"
4 red plums (other plum varieties or stonefruits would be great!)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups water
Extra granulated sugar (optional)
Pre-heat oven to anywhere from 140°F - 170°F, or the lowest temperature your oven allows (or get your dehydrator ready if you have one).
Line a sheet pan with foil and place an oven-safe wire rack on top of it.
Clean your plums and skin them, if you'd like. We found that leaving the skin on gave the dried plums a wonderfully chewy texture, but if you'd prefer them less chewy, feel free to remove their skins. Cut the plums into thin slices and set aside.
In a sauce pan, combine the water and granulated sugar and bring to a boil. In two batches, boil your plums for 2-3 minutes. This helps the plums retain their beautiful color, and gives the final result a touch of sweetness.
KEEP YOUR SYRUP! You've just made a beautiful plum syrup (ours is a bright pink color and tastes amazing). We'll be using this plum syrup in a future recipe or two, so just strain it into a mason jar, label and date it, and pop it into the fridge once it has cooled! It will keep for a long time and only needs to be discarded if there is evidence of any mold growth.
Move the plum slices to the wire rack in one even layer. It's okay if they're touching!
Dry them in the oven for a minimum of 4 hours (will be a bit chewier and not fully dried) and up to overnight.
If desired, toss your dried plums in sugar for an extra touch of sweeteness and fun texture! The Perlen Brothers disagree on this point -- can you guess which brother likes his plums sugared?
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