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Home » Authentic Chinese Plum Sauce

Authentic Chinese Plum Sauce

written on September 12, 2017

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Chinese plum sauce is a smooth sweet and tart sauce infused with traditional Chinese
spices and boasts a deliciously complex flavor profile that will mesmerize your taste
buds!  It’s wonderfully versatile as a dipping sauce, stir-fry sauce, basting sauce or Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals,
revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the
glaze as well as simply tossed with noodles and drizzled on rice. world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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Chinese Plum Sauce Recipe

It is believed that the Chinese were the first to cultivate plums and plums have an
important place in traditional Chinese culture.  Even Confucius paid tribute to them in
a poem wherein he likens their beauty to a loved one:

“The branches of the aspen plum

To and fro they sway
How can I not think of her?
But home is far away.”

What Is Plum Sauce?  

Another famous tribute to plums is a culinary one and it comes in the form of Plum
Sauce.  Or Duck Sauce.  The terms are interchangeable and refer to the same thing:  A
highly popular, delicious, and versatile Chinese condiment you’ll find in any Chinese
takeout or restaurant.  And no, there’s no actual duck in it.  But there are plums, spices,
honey and other ingredients that make this traditional and authentic plum sauce
recipe a real winner.

Now I have to tell you from the get-go, this isn’t the typical congealed and anemic
cornstarch + sugar + vinegar + food coloring duck sauce that comes in ketchup-style
packets or in squeeze bottles at your local Chinese takeout.  This is the more authentic,
home-style Chinese plum sauce that you’ll find in only the best Chinese restaurants
with a far more complex (translated “amazingly delicious”) flavor profile.  Multiple
layers of flavor come together to create a truly sensational sauce that will dazzle your
taste buds!

What Kind of Plums Should I Use?

You can use any plums you have available for this sauce.  Some variations of this sauce
are even made with peaches, apricots or pineapple.  You can also use traditional
Chinese salted plums that come dried or in jars packed in brine.  You can find them
online or in Asian grocery stores but given their source and list of ingredients I do not
recommend them.  I am using and recommend fresh plums.

We happen to have three Italian plum trees on our property and making and canning
enough plum sauce to last until the following plum harvest is one way I put our plums
to good use.

Plum lovers, be sure to also check out my Plum Butter, Zwetschgenkuchen (German
Plum Cake), and Homemade Fruit Leather!

Among a variety of Chinese spices, we’re also using another ingredient that the
Chinese traditionally included in their plum sauce – sweet potato – that contributes a
rich color and smooth texture.  Once you’ve gathered the spices and ingredients you
need, this sauce is easy to prepare and makes to either give away as a hostess gift or
to last you for quite a while.

This sauce can be made and eaten within a couple of weeks or canned for long-term
storage.  I’m including canning instructions for those interested.

Last but not least, the all-important question:

How Do You Use Plum Sauce?

This plum sauce is not only delicious, it’s wonderfully versatile.  Here are just a few
ways you can use it:

As a dipping sauce for wontons, egg rolls, spring rolls, dumplings, etc.
Serve as a finishing sauce with roasted duck (that’s where it got its nickname “duck
sauce”), fish, shrimp, chicken and pork
As a stir-fry sauce
Tossed with noodles
Drizzled on rice
As a basting sauce for grilling meats, poultry and seafood
As a glaze for baked poultry, pork and seafood

How To Can Plum Sauce for Long-Term Storage

That’s right, you can easily make a double bath or more and can it so that you can
enjoy this delicious plum sauce all year long! All you have to do to can this is ladle the
hot plum sauce into sterilized jars, seal with the lids and process in a boiling water
canner for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Remove the jars and
let sit undisturbed for 24 hours then check the seals.  Then store the jars in a dark cool
place where they will keep for at least a year.

BE SURE TO ALSO TRY THESE OTHER GREAT ASIAN SAUCES!

AUTHENTIC CHINESE HOISIN SAUCE

AUTHENTIC CHINESE BLACK BEAN SAUCE

BEST HOMEMADE SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

BEST HOMEMADE  TERIYAKI SAUCE 

YUM YUM SAUCE

HOW TO MAKE PLUM SAUCE

Let’s get started!

Place all the ingredients except for the spice mixture in a medium-sized pot and bring
to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Use
an immersion blender or transfer to a blender to puree until smooth (then return to
pot).  

Place the whole spices (skip if using store-bought five spice powder) in a small dry pan
and toast over medium-high heat just until fragrant.  Be careful not to scorch the
spices or they will taste bitter.  Let the spices cool and then place the whole spices in
a piece of cheesecloth tied shut with string or in a tea sachet.  Do the same if using
store-bought ground five spice powder.

Place the spice packet in the pot with the plum sauce and continue to simmer
uncovered for 25-45 minutes until the sauce is thickened to the desired consistency.
Discard the spice packet.  Let the sauce cool.  Store in the fridge in an airtight non-
reactive container.  Will keep for up to 2 weeks.

OPTIONAL CANNING INSTRUCTIONS:  Ladle the hot plum sauce into sterilized jars,
seal with the lids and process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.  Turn off the
heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Remove the jars and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours
then check the seals.  Will keep in a dark, cool place for at least a year.

PIN ME!

Authentic Chinese Plum

Sauce
Kimberly Killebrew

Use this popular and versatile Chinese Plum Sauce as

a dipping sauce for for everything from wontons,
egg rolls, spring rolls, dumplings, roasted duck, fish,
chicken, shrimp, or with noodles and rice.  Use it to
baste your meats before grilling or as a glaze for
baked poultry and pork.  

Print Recipe
4.89 from 34 votes

PREP TIME COOK TIME TOTAL TIME

20 mins 1 hr 1 hr 20 mins

COURSE CUISINE SERVINGS CALORIES

condiment Chinese 64 tablespoons (2 pints) 21 kcal

INGREDIENTS   US Customary Metric   1x 2x 3x

2 pounds plums, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup diced Garnet yam (i.e., orange flesh)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Spice Mixture (highly recommended but see below for shortcut option):
1 2-3 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon sichuan peppercorns (NOT the same thing as black pepper)
1/4 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
OR 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder

INSTRUCTIONS  
1. Place all the ingredients except for the spice mixture in a medium-sized pot and
bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30
minutes.  Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender to puree until
smooth (then return to pot).  
2. Place the whole spices (skip if using store-bought five spice powder) in a small
dry pan and toast over medium-high heat just until fragrant.  Be careful not to
scorch the spices or they will taste bitter.  Let the spices cool and then place the
whole spices in a piece of cheesecloth tied shut with string or in a tea sachet.
 Do the same if using store-bought ground five spice powder. 
3.  Place the spice packet in the pot with the plum sauce and continue to simmer
uncovered for 25-45 minutes until the sauce is thickened to the desired
consistency.  Discard the spice packet.  Let the sauce cool.  Store in the fridge in
an airtight non-reactive container.  Will keep for up to 2 weeks.
4. CANNING INSTRUCTIONS:  Ladle the hot plum sauce into sterilized jars, seal
with the lids and process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.  Turn off the
heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Remove the jars and let sit undisturbed for 24
hours then check the seals.  Will keep in a dark, cool place for at least a year.

NUTRITION
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 41mg |
Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg

KEYWORD Plum Sauce

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113 comments →

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113 Responses

SUZANNE STOECKLE
September 27, 2021 at 7:31 pm
I made this..maybe did something wrong but no one liked it! The yams did
Reply not soften and it was gritty and the spices are very strong – will not make
again!

Wayne Lind
September 8, 2021 at 11:40 pm
Love plum sauce and will be making it soon. Your recipe sounds like a fair
Reply amount of work but also sounds wonderful. I will let your know how it
worked out.
Thanks Kimberly
Wayne
Nakusp, B.C.

Makayla
September 1, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Reply
This recipe is outstanding! We have made the plum sauce for several years
now! This year, our plum tree did not produce much fruit due to a 2020 ice
storm that ravaged our community. May I ask if peaches can be a substitute
for the plums? It sounds delicious but I am not experienced enough to know
if the canning procedure would be the same….I want to remain aware of
safety with home canned foods.

Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet

September 1, 2021 at 6:29 pm
Thanks so much, Makayla! Yes, you can substitute peaches, that won’t
Reply pose a safety issue.

Sharon Tedrow
August 28, 2021 at 3:52 pm

Reply
Glad l found this amazing recipe. It resembles the sweet and sour sauce my
local Chinese restaurant uses. The only apple cider vinegar l had was Braggs
(with the mother) and at first l thought it might be too sour. But when
everything was cooked, it was perfect. I had 6.5 lbs if plums so l tripled the
recipe. It made 12 half pints. In the future l will strain it before l put it into the
jars just to make sure none of the ginger fibers remain.

Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet

September 1, 2021 at 7:08 pm
That’s wonderful, Sharon, thanks so much for the feedback!
Reply

Tracy
August 21, 2021 at 9:47 pm

Reply
Delicious recipe and well-written instructions. I canned a double batch.

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