Food Recipes Sauces, Condiments and Preserves Salty-Sweet Spiced Pickled Plums A nod to li hing mui, these sweet-savory pickled plums develop complex flavor from star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and fennel. By Minh Phan Minh Phan Minh Phan is a chef and multidisciplinary artist who founded lauded Los Angeles restaurants Porridge + Puffs and Michelin-starred Phenakite, which she has since closed. As an artist, she works with organizations such as Food Forward to address issues like food waste and insecurity. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 23, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: © Young & Hungry Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hr Yield: 4 1-pint jars Jump to recipe Fresh plums take on a complex sweet-sour flavor as they steep in a spiced vinegar brine.Cloves, star anise, cinnamon, and fennel add layers of warmth that complement the fruit without overpowering it.Unlike many fruit preserves, these plums lean savory as well as sweet, making them especially versatile. Inspired by li hing mui — salty-sweet dried plums that are a popular snack in China — chef Minh Phan pickles fresh plums in a salty-sweet spiced brine. She suggests serving the plums in a refreshing soda made by mixing them with their pickling liquid and sparkling water; garnish with a sprig of Thai basil. How to make refrigerator pickled plums This recipe gives instructions for turning out four sealed, shelf-stable jars of pickled plums, but you can make the plums without the canning steps if you don’t plan to store them long-term. Start with clean jars — four pint jars or two quart jars with tight-fitting lids — and go straight to Step 3. After filling the jars in Step 4, cover, let cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. Let the plums pickle for at least 24 hours before serving; their sweet-salty flavor will continue to develop over the next several days. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Using firm plums is key to ensuring the pickles hold their shape; it’s better to err on the side of underripe than overripe. Take care when removing the pits to avoid bruising the fruit.Pack the fruit tightly in the jars without compressing it. Distribute the spices evenly among the jars, and be sure to leave a 1/2-inch headspace at the top to allow for expansion during processing. Wipe the jar rims carefully before putting on the lids for a proper seal.Once the jars are removed from the water bath, let them rest undisturbed, as movement can interfere with vacuum formation.The pickles’ flavor improves significantly after three to seven days, so do your best to wait before digging in. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 4 (1-pint) canning jars with lids and rings 2 cups unseasoned rice vinegar 1 cup distilled white vinegar 2 packed cups dark brown sugar 1/2 cup kosher salt 2 1/2 pounds firm-but-ripe plums, pitted and cut into eight wedges each 8 whole cloves 4 star anise pods 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into 4 pieces 2 teaspoons pink peppercorns 1 teaspoon fennel seeds Directions Fill a large pot with water, cover, and bring to a boil. Add the canning jars, lids, and rings, along with a set of tongs and a ladle, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to sterilize. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Set a metal rack in another large pot. Fill the pot with water, cover, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine both vinegars with the brown sugar and salt and bring to a boil to dissolve. Using the sterilized tongs, remove the jars from the hot water and transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet. Pack the plums, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns, and fennel seeds evenly into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch at the top. Ladle the hot brine over the plums, stopping 1/2 inch from the top. Using the tongs, screw the lids and rings on the jars securely but not too tightly. Using canning tongs, lower the jars onto the rack in the boiling water, making sure they are covered by 1 inch of water. Boil over high heat for 20 minutes. Using the canning tongs, transfer the jars to a rack to cool until the lids seal (they will be concave); refrigerate any jars that do not seal. Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Originally appeared: August 2012 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.