Monday 21 November 2016

Prune glasses.



These funny little glasses are typically French.

They are designed to hold a single Prune (or Greengage) that has been soaked in Eau de Vie.

Traditionally at the end of a meal one would have a Prune, and a very small amount of the liquid, to accompany your coffee.

Whilst washing the glasses recently (I've been delving into the very back of cupboards), I noticed that a couple of them would contain very much less liquid than the others. One was so solid with glass that it was almost impossible to put any liquid into it at all; the Prune itself just sat on the top of a glass with no bowl, no doubt those particular glasses being reserved for that notorious 'Uncle Maurice' who might otherwise end up under the table.  

Recipe: Soak semi-dried Prunes in Green Tea over night. Drain the Prunes, and cover with Eau de Vie. Leave for at least a month. At a push, one could use Gin or Vodka. 

Consume cautiously.




58 comments:

  1. That seems like an odd ending to a meal. A prune, I mean.

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  2. Prunes soaked in rum are a Christmas treat.

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  3. I love prunes in eau de vie and those glasses are just the right size/shape to serve them in. Splendid!

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    Replies
    1. A glass for every possible use. These are specifically for prunes.

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    2. They look like my mother's trifle glasses also used for fruit salad.

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    3. These are two and a half inches tall, and the same wide. You would only get a teaspoon-full of trifle in them; or was your mother just mean?

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    4. That's why we were all thin in the 1950s.

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    5. I had an aunt who put so much sherry into her trifles that we would all end-up pissed.

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    6. Grant's grandmother put so much sherry into her trifle every Christmas, the result was the same as you mention above here!

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    7. I grew up in Suffolk and like Rachel my mum had a similar set that looked like your prune glasses that we were served jelly in and we thought that was rather special! It didn't take much to make us happy in those post war years.

      I find your column very interesting most days and would like to try prunes served this way.

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    8. These glasses are so small that you wouldn't get any jelly into them.

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  4. Think I'll stick to the port and Stilton.

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    1. We've already had the stilton by the time we come to the prune.

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  5. Prunes like that (in grappa here) are delicious on ice cream too, also the bigger size raisons are done similar.
    Greeting Maria x

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    1. Grappa is the same as Eau de Vie, I think. Do you have similar glasses in Italy?

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    2. Grappa, is sometimes also called Acquavite (water of life) here, but there could be a slight difference in distillation; one with whole of the grapes and the other only with the skins...?
      I have never seen small glasses like those here in Italy before.
      X

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  6. When I saw your header, my first thought was that it was a glass just for prunes... but I should have known better !

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    1. The juice is the best bit, although I must admit that when I took the photo it all went back into the jar.

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  7. I do like that idea....but we do prunes in port here....
    Perfect with the Bleu d'Augverne....and presumably, with Stilton...because it is an old W.I recipe.
    Love these glasses, Cro....not spotted any quite like this around here......

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    1. They are quite rare. I was given mine by a friend, and they're all slightly different (and very heavy). Look out at your local 'troc'.

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  8. Well you certainly don't seem to be short of glasses and I thought it was just me!

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    1. You should see my plate collection, at the last count we had over 100.

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  9. The little knife is missing....

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    1. I was hoping that the prune would act as a measure, which is what the knife was for.

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  10. I'll look out for glasses like that at the local brocantes. I'm sure I've seen some but ignored them because
    I didn't know what they were for. Sounds like a lovely end to a meal, we are fans of prunes in this house.

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    1. I hope you find some, they're not too common these days. However, I expect every peasant home has a set stuffed away in a cupboard somewhere.

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  11. The Pruneaux Fourrés are our Christmas time treat. We used to go to Agen for then and now have found a closer provider at Duras. A box goes to my best mate in the UK every year. Tea soaked prunes, without the stones, go into the daily yoghurt - regularly.

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    1. We buy those blue tins of stuffed prunes for extra special friends; they're delicious.

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  12. In England, right up through the 19th century, they made drinking glasses which were very thick and could contain only small amounts of alcohol, called 'deceptive' or 'toastmaster's glasses'. If the M.C. had to spend half the night proposing toasts and draining his glass in one swig, this prevented him from sinking under the table like Uncle Maurice.

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    1. I couldn't photograph the 'solid' glasses, as the solid part is transparent. I remember Sandy Powell having a beer mug with a false interior which made it look as he was drinking a whole pint in a couple of seconds.

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  13. At school I was the only one among my friends who liked prunes and custard as a pudding..haven't had them for years. I like the sound of these soaked prunes Cro...will investigate doing something similar this Christmas.

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    1. This area of France is renowned for its prunes (Pruneaux d'Agen), I love them, especially the half dried ones.

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    2. A clafoutis of prunes soaked in brandy is one of my favourite desserts.

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  14. I love those half dried ones too Cro and will definitely try this.

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    1. You'll love it Weave, and so will your guests.

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  15. I love prunes but I can't ever remember partaking in the prune/ Eau de Vie experience Cro ..... there are always new experiences to be had aren't there ?!! XXXX

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    1. It's very much a part of the local gastronomy here, like 'chabrol', and 'confit'.

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  16. It's cherry picking time in the Free State now. And we don't live there anymore. When we did, we would soak fresh cherries in brandy in a jar and leave for a month. Here in the mountains, I think we'll go for the prunes in vodka option that you mention.

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    1. We used to pick special sour cherries for soaking in Eau de Vie. They were delicious.

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  17. What a delightful post! My favorite kind - a regional culinary tidbit with recipe. I might ask why you have 100 plates, but I won't. And a prize to the person who identifies this rhetorical device.

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    1. Keep watching Shawn, some more local recipes coming up. As for the plates; I'm a little obsessed by early peasant white plates, bowls, serving dishes, soup tureens, etc, etc.

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  18. Prune schmoon, but the glasses are pretty.

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    1. Shame on you Donna, the prunes are delicious.

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    2. Okay, put it in a bread pudding and I'll eat it.

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  19. Never seen a prune glass, but as you say they are v. french. Will ask a collector friend of mine who lived in France for a few years if he knows of them. I LOVE prunes!

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    1. If he doesn't, I hope you'll show him the above photo!

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    2. I will! I often show him interesting things on blogs (mostly yours and Tom Stephensons) and the internet generally, as he is completely computer illiterate and can't even use a mobile phone. If he ever learnt how to use a computer he would never do anything else!

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  20. Thank you for this recipe and for the introduction to a very particular type of glass. I will be looking for one at every likely source. I might get lucky.

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    1. You may not find the glasses, but the recipe is still good.

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  21. just popping out to the kitchen to add some gin to the prunes....great ideas.

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  22. That is interesting, I will keep an eye out and see if they turn up over the pond here. Will keep in mind the recipe.

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    1. As I said to Frances above, you may not find these glasses in the US; they're not common here. I haven't looked, but I expect they're available on the net somewhere.

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  23. Yum - love them. Also love cherries in cognac - what we do here!

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    1. We did Cherries in the same way as the Prunes; with Eau de Vie. They were probably even more delicious.

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