This is taken from Elizabeth David French Provincial Cooking.

 

The colour of the resulting syrup and fruit will depend on the  fruit and alcohol used in preparation of the preserve.

A darker fruit and coloured eau di vie will give a darker syrup.

 

Use slighly under ripe fruit, greengages Rheines-Claudes

Leave the stalks on and pierce each plum through tot the stone with a skewer in three or four places and leave in a bowl of cold water until all are ready. Weigh fruit.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, put in the greengages and, as soon as the water comes up to a fast boil again, remove the fruit with a perforated spoon to a large china bowl.

For each pound of fruit, measure a pound of white sugar and a wine glass somewhat under 1/4pt of water.

Boil together to the pearl stage ie until the syrup is bubbling with little beads, throw in the fruit, leave until comes to the boil again,  then immediately return it to the bowl I think using perforated spoon and pour syrup over the fruit.

Leave 24 hours.

The next day pour off the syrup, bring to the boil and put in the fruit, bring once more to the boil, remove fruit with perforated spoon to the bowl and skim the syrup if needed and pour over the fruit.

Leave 24 hours

Remove the fruit to glass or stone jars.

Boil the syrup until it has thickened somewhat. I reduce till very concentrated, this will give a thicker syrup, if a thinner syrup wanted simply do not reduce as much

Filter through a cloth muslin and, have ready half a bottle of brandy or other spirit for every 3lb of raw fruit use. I used 100ml grappa for 400g plums

Mix the syrup and alcohol together thoroughly and pour over the fruit.

Stopper the jars and leave at least a month before opening
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