Homemade sun-dried plums in extra-virgin olive oil

Hello to all plant-based food lovers!
This year, there is a bountiful harvest of plums in my garden. In addition to the traditional plum jam, I also prepared my favorite plum snack for the winter. These are homemade sun-dried plums in extra-virgin olive oil with spicy herbs and garlic. So today, I want to share with you my easy recipe for making this real delicacy.

Ingredients:
1.5 kg of fresh plums
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
5 sprigs of fresh basil
3 sprigs of fresh mint
1.5 teaspoons of sea salt
1 head of garlic
1 teaspoon of dry mint
1 teaspoon of dry basil
150 ml of balsamic vinegar of Modena
225 ml of extra-virgin olive oil

The peculiarity of my recipe is that I combine both fresh and dried spicy herbs. I grow spicy herbs in my garden, so I have the opportunity to pick them fresh right before preparing my favorite meal or snack.

The Сooking Process

Step 1
Wash the plums thoroughly with warm water and dry them on a paper towel. Then cut the plums in half and remove the pits.

Step 2
Chop the garlic. Gently pinch the leaves of the fresh thyme, basil and mint.

Step 3
Add chopped garlic, fresh thyme leaves, basil, mint and sea salt to the bowl with the plums. Rub dry, spicy herbs through a sieve. Then mix everything gently.

Step 4
I usually dry the plums in the oven. Heat the oven to +70 °C. To keep your baking sheet clean, I recommend covering it with baking paper. Put the prepared plums in one layer. Plum halves should be placed cut-side up.

Drying in the oven consists of two stages.
Stage 1. Dry plums for 1.5 hours at a temperature of +70°C.
Stage 2. Dry the plums for 3–4 hours at a temperature of +60 °C with the oven door open.

Step 5
Let the plums cool completely before putting them in jars. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by mixing balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil in a glass.