Our recent Riverdog Farm CSA box had a couple pounds of these ripe plums and this Simple Santa Rosa Plum with Lavender Compote Recipe is a great way savor these prized fruits this time of year. I love making a fruit compote with fresh fruit for its simplicity in preparation and ease in freezing. It's an easy recipe you'll enjoy for this variety of summer stone fruit.
The History of the Santa Rosa Plum
An heirloom variety, these organic plums are famous for their beautiful deep red skin with a purple bloom. Frog Hollow Farm shares a brief history of this famed plum, named for its birthplace in Santa Rosa, CA. The Santa Rosa Plum variety is said to have been cultivated in 1906 by California horticulturist Luther Burbank in his Santa Rosa plant research center. It is there where he developed the plum by crossing Japanese and European varieties. The goal was to create a hybrid that could grow in California's Mediterranean climate given it's warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
The Santa Rosa Plum's amber flesh becomes a flushed red as it ripens. While the fresh plums have a firm feel, its reddish plum skins are smooth yet delicate enough to hold its shape when sliced. Upon tasting them when freshly harvested, the flesh has a honeyed sweet and slightly floral flavor that is complemented by a hint of tartness in the skin. It's the perfect blend of flavor for this summer stone fruit staple.
What You'll Love About This Simple Santa Rosa Plum with Lavender Compote Recipe
This delicious plum compote is a great recipe to make good use of the red plums once you've had your fill of eating them fresh. It's also freezer friendly so you can make a batch to freeze and enjoy any time of the year. This is my first time enjoying this seasonal favorite in the region so I'll make a few jars to freeze for the winter months when I'm missing summer's beauty once more. The key to this fruit compote is the steeping of the fresh culinary grade lavender that brings out the floral notes of this plum variety. You'll love it as the perfect accompaniment for your breakfast porridges, yogurt bowls, or adding dollops to pancakes or even creamy vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients for this Easy Plum Compote Recipe
The beauty of compotes is that they're super adaptable to the ingredients you've got on hand. I've adapted this recipe from the July 2025 issue of Sonoma Magazine. Here's what we'll need to make for our plum compote recipe:
- ½ cup light brown sugar. I love the caramel notes in using brown sugar. You can also use granulated white sugar here.
- ½ cup water. We use a 1:1 ratio to craft the beginning simple syrup for our compote. Doing so also helps us to steep the lavender which will perfume this recipe.
- 3 small sprigs fresh culinary grade lavender. I love the use of fresh herbs in all my compote recipes. You can also play with fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs in this compote recipe.
- 1 pound diced plum chunks. The star of course. Santa Rosa Plums are the best if you can get them near you. Otherwise, any red plum variety will work here.
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice. I love the brightness of fresh lemon juice here that pairs well with the slight acidic notes in the Santa Rosa Plums.
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to make this Simple Santa Rosa Plum with Lavender Compote Recipe
Making this particular compote recipe will take just under one hour to make. We account for 30 minutes of steep time for the lavender simple syrup. Here's how we make it:
- Prepare the lavender simple syrup by stirring together the brown sugar and water in a non-reactive sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add in the lavender and allow to steep 30 minutes. Remove lavender sprigs.
- Slice plums in half and remove the pits. Dice plum halves into ¼ inch pieces. Add diced plums to the large, nonreactive saucepan with the simple syrup. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Once the plums release their juice within the first five minutes of cooking, add the lemon juice.
- Turn the heat to medium and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to encourage fruit to release their juice and thicken with the help of the simple syrup and lemon juice.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Allow to cool completely before storing or serving. The juices will thicken as the compote sits.
Tips for Freezing This Plum Compote Recipe
Once ready, portion your compote into your freezer safe jars or containers. I like to use this wide mouth funnel for easy pouring. Secure with tight fitting lids and allow the plum compote to cool completely before storing in the freezer. Make sure to label and date your compote so you can track the time remaining to enjoy. If stored appropriately, your compote can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months.
Santa Rosa Plum with Lavender Compote Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 3 small sprigs fresh culinary grade lavender
- 1 pound diced plum chunks
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the lavender simple syrup by stirring together the brown sugar and water in a non-reactive sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add in the lavender and allow to steep 30 minutes. Remove lavender sprigs.
- Slice plums in half and remove the pits. Dice plum halves into ¼ inch pieces. Add diced plums to the large, nonreactive saucepan with the simple syrup. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Once the plums release their juice within the first five minutes of cooking, add the lemon juice.
- Turn the heat to medium and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to encourage fruit to release their juice and thicken with the help of the simple syrup and lemon juice.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Allow to cool completely before storing or serving. The juices will thicken as the compote sits.
Leave a Reply