These Pickled Mirabelle Plums are a lovely way to make the most of late summer fruit. Sweet, tangy and lightly spiced, they make a delicious accompaniment to cheese boards, cold meats or roast dishes.
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I first shared this recipe in 2014 and retested it in August 2025 to improve texture and balance. Feedback from readers led to a reduction in vinegar and a shorter cook time so the plums keep their shape without becoming mushy. The updated version is quick, reliable and family-approved.
Mirabelles have a brief season in late August and early September and can arrive all at once. These small yellow plums are exceptionally sweet and juicy fresh, but pickling them preserves that sweetness while adding a bright tartness from the vinegar and sugar syrup, enhanced by warming spices. The whole process takes under 30 minutes and the jars keep in the fridge for 2–3 weeks.
Pickled Mirabelle Plums look like golden jewels in a jar and pair especially well with strong cheddar, goat’s cheese or cold roasted meats. Note that the fruits still contain their stones, so warn anyone tasting them.
What Are Mirabelle Plums?
Mirabelles are small stone fruits in the plum family, most famously cultivated in Lorraine, France, though they grow elsewhere. They are tiny, yellow and very sweet when ripe. While they make excellent jam, pickling gives them a different, savoury-sweet profile that works brilliantly as a condiment.
Why You’ll Love These Pickled Mirabelles
- Quick and easy. The recipe takes about 20–30 minutes total.
- Balanced flavour. Cider vinegar and sugar combine with subtle spices for a sweet-tart finish.
- Versatile. Serve with cheese, charcuterie, salads or roast meats.
- Preserves seasonal fruit. Extends the life of ripe mirabelles for several weeks.
Ingredients Needed
Mirabelle plums: Use fresh ripe fruit, discarding any that are bruised or overripe. If you can’t find mirabelles, small sweet plums will work.
Granulated white sugar: Regular granulated sugar gives the best results; I don’t recommend sugar substitutes here.
Cider vinegar: A good quality apple cider vinegar gives the nicest flavour; unfiltered varieties are fine.
Cinnamon stick: Split in half for more surface area and an attractive jar presentation. Ground cinnamon can be substituted (about 3/4 tsp).
Whole cloves: Four whole cloves add warmth without overpowering.
Black peppercorns: A small amount brings a gentle heat and depth.
Nutmeg: Freshly grated is ideal, but 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg works well.
How To Make Pickled Mirabelles
Full recipe instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Combine sugar, cider vinegar, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorns and the cinnamon stick in a pan. Heat gently to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup is hot (approximately 85–90°C / 185–194°F).
Prick each mirabelle with a cocktail stick to prevent splitting, then add them to the hot syrup. Bring back to a gentle boil for a very short moment, then remove from the heat.
Lift the mirabelles from the syrup with a slotted spoon and pack them into sterilised jars. Pour the hot syrup over the fruit until they are fully covered, leaving a small headspace, then seal the jars tightly.
Expert Tips
Pack the mirabelles tightly in the jars but leave around 2cm of headspace above the fruit. This helps ensure an even syrup cover and makes sealing easier.
Cool filled jars quickly in an ice water bath (a large vessel with ice and a little water). Cooling to refrigerator temperature in 60–90 minutes limits further cooking of the fruit so they keep a pleasant texture. Replenish the ice as needed.
Sterilising jars: Place clean glass jars in an oven preheated to 140°C (284°F) for 20 minutes. Sterilise non-glass lids by boiling for 10 minutes with a splash of vinegar.
If you prefer, remove the skins before eating — some find the skin slightly stringy. Always warn guests that the plums contain stones.
Save any leftover pickling syrup by decanting it into a sterilised jar and refrigerating for future use (ideas below).
FAQs
Yes. They are ready to eat immediately, though the vinegar mellows with time if you prefer a less tangy finish.
Store the pickled mirabelles in the refrigerator and use within 2–3 weeks for best quality.
Frozen fruit is not recommended for this quick pickling method, as texture will suffer.
Yes — larger plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries, grapes or melon can be quick-pickled, though some firmer fruits may need a slightly longer simmer.
Handy options are 580g Weck jars or 500g Kilner jars; choose jars that allow the fruit to pack neatly without floating excessively.
Leftover Pickling Syrup Uses
Don’t discard the remaining syrup — it’s full of flavour and can be reused in several ways:
- More quick pickles: Use it to quick-pickle grapes, cucumber ribbons, carrot ribbons, red onions or thin melon slices.
- Cocktails and shrubs: Add about 1 tablespoon to a tall gin or vodka soda for a sparkling acidic note. The syrup works well in shrubs and cocktail mixers.
Everything Dressing Recipe
3 tablespoons pickling syrup
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Shake all ingredients in a small screw-top jar until emulsified. This dressing is excellent on leafy salads, with goat’s cheese or as a glaze for roasted meats and chicken wings.
More Preserve Recipes You’ll Love
Plum and Beetroot Chutney is gently spiced and silky, great with sandwiches, cold cuts or cheese.
Homemade Plum BBQ Sauce delivers rich, fruity tang and works as a dip, glaze or basting sauce for grilled meats.
Green Plum Jam is a simple two-ingredient jam ideal for using unripe plums after pruning or a windfall.
Pickled Mirabelle Plums
Ingredients
- 1 kg mirabelles
- 450 g granulated sugar
- 240 g cider vinegar
- 1 cinnamon stick – split in half
- 4 whole cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- Place the sugar, vinegar, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorns and cinnamon in a pan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is hot (about 85–90°C / 185–194°F).
- Prick each mirabelle with a cocktail stick so they don’t split, then add them to the pickling syrup. Bring back to the boil briefly, then turn off the heat.
- Remove the mirabelles with a slotted spoon and pack into sterilised jars.
- Pour the hot syrup over the fruit so they are covered, leaving a small headspace, then seal the jars tightly.
- Cool the jars rapidly in an ice water bath until they reach refrigerator temperature (this takes around 60–90 minutes). Once cold, store in the fridge and consume within 2–3 weeks.
- If any syrup remains, decant it into a sterilised bottle and keep in the refrigerator for future use.
Notes
Inspired by Diana Henry’s ‘Cerises au Vinegar’ in Salt Sugar Smoke.
- The recipe was adjusted in August 2025 to reduce vinegar and shorten cooking time so the plums keep their shape.
- Yields enough to fill two medium preserving jars (about 500–580g jars depending on shape).
- These are ready to eat immediately but the flavour mellows over time.
- Sterilise glass jars in a 140°C (284°F) oven for 20 minutes. Boil non-glass lids for 10 minutes with a splash of vinegar.
- Be aware the plums retain their stones.
Ingredient measurements
- Metric measurements are recommended for accuracy; liquids are weighed where indicated.
- US customary conversions are provided as a guide, but the recipe was tested with metric weights.
Nutrition information
Nutrition values are estimates based on an online calculator and will vary depending on exact ingredients and serving size. The values shown assume 15 servings and include some of the pickling syrup.