Plum Frozen

Lucky you, if your plum tree is raining fruit. But you know the downside: What to do with all those plums? Besides giving them away by the bagful, you can make Plum Ice.

Plums that are perfectly sweet and juicy can be used just as they are, but I’ve added a few ingredients to enhance the flavor. Adjust the sugar according to the sweetness of your plums. And of course, consider your own taste. If you have a big sweet tooth, use more sugar.

For the best flavor, serve right from the ice cream maker as soon as it’s done, while it’s soft enough to spoon into serving dishes. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a glass loaf dish, stirring once every 30 minutes until the ice is solid enough to serve. If it freezes hard, in either the ice cream maker or the freezer, let it sit at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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Plum Ice

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 2 1/2 hours chilling time

1 1/2 pounds plums

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cassis

1 tablespoon lime juice

* Cut plums in half and remove pits. Place plum halves, water and sugar in saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until fruit is soft enough to pass through sieve, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool, then cover and chill several hours or overnight.

* Press cooked plums through sieve or food mill. Stir in cassis and lime juice. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

6 servings. Each serving: 213 calories; 0 sodium; 0cholesterol; 1 grams fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.68 gram fiber.

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Plate from Mozarts, Redlands