The fruit pastes we buy are often very firm from the addition of setting agents such as pectin or from the ability to cook with more technical equipment including drying rooms. In reality most homemade cheeses or fruit pastes have a softer set, so don't try to get a thick-jellied style paste, but go for a softer-set called a fruit cheese.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kilograms ripe, firm plums or peaches
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups sugar (approximately)

Method

1. Wash the fruit and chop roughly. Place into a jam pan or a wide, large stock pot. Add the water and simmer gently over a low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the fruit from sticking or catching on the base of the pan, until the fruit is very soft and pulpy.
2. Sieve the fruit through a mouli, discarding the stones and skin. Rinse the preserving pan and return the pump to the pan, measuring the amount as you do.
3. Add 1 cup of sugar for every cup of fruit puree. Stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil, stirring constantly until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. It will make a 'plopping' sound. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the fruit pulp into buttered dishes ensuring it is only 1cm deep. Dry the pulp out in the hot sun (under a light muslin-type cover) or in a cool oven or in a dehydrator until the paste is firmish. This can take several days.
5. The longer the drying process, the firmer and darker the cheese becomes. Store loosely covered with muslin in a cake tin. Delicious with soft cheese and crackers or sourdough breads.

Cooks Tips

The cheese can also be dried on smaller pieces of muslin in a dehydrator.