Recipe for: Grilled Hungarian Plum and Fresh Ginger Punch - photo 1
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Recipe for: Grilled Hungarian Plum and Fresh Ginger Punch

Drinks Grilling 45 min Medium 14 views ~25.05 PLN * - (0)
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Description

A refreshing summer punch inspired by the Greater Poland tradition of grilling fruits. Grilled Hungarian plums with a hint of fresh ginger and honey create deep, slightly smoky, and sweet-sour aromas, which we mellow with apple juice and sparkling mineral water. This drink can be both non-alcoholic (basic version) and with a gentle addition of rum for adults. Serve well chilled, with crushed ice and optional sprigs of thyme — visual effect: ruby color with black plum skins and green thyme leaves. Perfect for summer barbecues, family picnics, and home gatherings.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (10)

Servings:
6
  • Hungarian plum 800 g
  • Honey 80 ml
  • Apple juice 500 ml
  • Sparkling water 800 ml
  • Lemon 1.3 pcs (~100 g)
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Ginger 40 g
  • Cinnamon 5 g
  • ✨ Optional
  • Thyme 10 g
  • Crushed ice 300 g
  • Rum 100 g
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~25.05 PLN (4.18 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Preparation

1

Wash the plums under cold water and dry them with a paper towel. Cut each plum in half lengthwise and remove the pit with your fingers or a small knife. Place the plum halves cut side down on a tray. Slice the ginger into thin pieces (about 2-3 mm). Squeeze the juice from the lemons into a small bowl and set aside the seeds.

Ingredients: Hungarian plum, Ginger, Lemon
Use a sharp knife to safely cut the plums and a wooden board. If the plums are very large, you can also cut them into quarters. For squeezing lemons, citrus juicers or manual squeezing will help; check that the juice does not contain seeds.

Grilling

2

Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 200°C on the grill). Lightly brush the outer side of the plums with a bit of honey (about 1/2 tablespoon of honey spread on all). Place the plum halves cut side down on the grill or hot pan. Grill for 3-5 minutes until there are clear char marks and the plum softens slightly; do not flip too often.

Ingredients: Hungarian plum, Honey
Use a kitchen brush to spread the honey. A grill pan with a diameter of 26-28 cm or a large outdoor grill is best. Dark, caramelized stripes should appear — this is a sign that the plums are ready. If the fruits are very ripe, shorten the grilling time so they don't fall apart completely.
3

At the end of grilling, place the ginger slices on the grill for 30-60 seconds until they release their aroma and soften slightly. Remove the plums and ginger from the grill and immediately transfer them to a large heatproof bowl or pot.

Ingredients: Ginger, Hungarian plum
Be careful not to burn the ginger — one minute is enough. To transport the hot fruits, use a spatula with a wide surface or two spoons.

Syrup

4

In a saucepan with grilled plums and ginger, pour in apple juice (500 ml) and add the remaining honey (the leftover amount). Add cinnamon (5 g). Heat over medium heat for 8-12 minutes: bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the plums are very soft and start to break down. During cooking, mash the fruit with a wooden spoon to release the juice and pulp.

Ingredients: Hungarian plum, Ginger, Apple juice, Honey, Cinnamon
Use a medium-sized saucepan with a capacity of 2-3 liters. Stir every 2-3 minutes to prevent the syrup from burning. The syrup is ready when the plums can be easily mashed and the liquid thickens slightly (a light coating remains on a dipped fork).
5

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. If you want a smooth punch, strain the contents through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a spoon to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. If you prefer a texture with pieces of fruit, skip the straining.

Ingredients: Hungarian plum, Ginger
Use a metal strainer and a spoon for pressing when straining. A cup or bowl under the strainer should hold all the liquid. The hot syrup may splash — be careful.

Assembly and serving

6

Pour the drained (or undrained) plum-ginger syrup into a large pitcher. Add the lemon juice (previously squeezed) and gently mix. Taste and sweeten with a spoonful of honey or lemon juice to your liking, if necessary.

Ingredients: Apple juice, Lemon, Honey
Use a pitcher with a capacity of at least 2 liters. Stir with a long spoon. The taste of the punch should be balanced: the sweetness of the plums and honey should be compensated by the acidity of the lemon.
7

Just before serving, pour well-chilled sparkling mineral water (800 ml) into a pitcher and gently stir from the top to avoid losing the fizz. If using, place crushed ice in the glasses, pour in a portion of the punch, and optionally add 15-20 ml of rum to each serving according to taste (alcoholic version). Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

Ingredients: Crushed ice, Rum, Thyme
Slowly pour in the mineral water and stir with a long-handled spoon to keep the bubbles. A large highball glass or a measuring pitcher is best. Additionally, you can add a sprig of thyme to each glass for aroma.
8

Serve immediately to keep the punch's fresh aromas and fizz. If you are preparing the drink in advance, store the syrup separately in the refrigerator and mix with sparkling water just before serving.

Ingredients: Apple juice
Use decorative lemon slices or half a grilled plum on the rim of the glass as a garnish. Do not store the drink with sparkling water for too long — it will lose its fizz.

Fun Fact

💡

Grilling fruits has a long tradition in regional cuisines, including in Greater Poland, where forest and garden fruits often ended up on the grill as a dessert or side dish — the smoke and caramelization bring out the natural sugars and intensify the aroma.

Best for

letnie spotkania przy grillu piknik rodzinne biesiady

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve very chilled in glasses with a wide opening to enhance the aroma of ginger and thyme. For children and those who do not like alcohol, omit the rum. You can prepare small portions of syrup in jars and serve them alongside so guests can adjust the intensity of the flavor themselves.

🥡 Storage

Store the syrup in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not mix with sparkling water before storage — the drink will lose its fizz. Drink the punch immediately after adding ice; freezing after adding honey is not recommended.

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