Chinese plum sauce

Ingredients:

• 450 g fresh plums, preferably red for color, pitted and finely chopped (about 4 cups)
• 2 sticks brown sugar or 0.5 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1/4 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
• 2 pieces of ginger root, about 1 cm thick.
• 1 dried chili pepper, such as chile de arbol or dried Thai chili, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the plums, sugar, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Chinese spices, ginger, chili, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the plums are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender, filling it halfway. Cover with a lid, leaving one corner slightly open. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent splashing, and blend until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce.
3. Return the sauce to the same pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. When running a spatula through the sauce, you should be able to see the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a medium bowl or plate and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
5. The sauce can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
   
   
   Brown sugar sticks (or bars) have a light caramel flavor that's cleaner than light brown sugar, but you can use either in this recipe. You can find brown sugar sticks at Asian markets or online.