Stewed Plums

Wash the plums. Put a knife in the indentation in a plum, sticking it in just far enough to touch the pit. Rotate the plum and cut all the way around. Put one hand on each side and twist them in opposite directions, popping the two halves apart. Use a small knife to carefully cut out the pit. If a plum is so over ripe that it smooshes in your hand when you try to open it, there is no point in trying to cook it. Discard the peel and pit and throw the mush in a fruit smoothie, Smoothies.

Place the sugar, water, orange juice and cinnamon stick into a medium-sized pot over a medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

Add the plums in a single layer skin side down and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the fruit is soft and begins to break down. You want the plums to still be intact, but be soft and cooked through. Spoon finished plums out into a bowl. If you have some that are more ripe, you may need to pull them out sooner than the others. Pick out any loose skins that have peeled away. If desired, simmer the liquid a little longer, then pour over.

Enjoy hot or cold. Delicious with ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, waffles etc.