Substitutes for Plum Sauce: 8 Best Alternatives, and FAQs +Recipe!

Plums have an essential role in Chinese cooking heritage. China was the first place where they were grown. They’re still popular, and they’re used in various recipes.

One of them is the plum sauce, also known as duck sauce, a delectable and widely used condiment available in almost every Chinese restaurant. Don’t be fooled by the name, in any case. There isn’t a single duck in it. It’s used to make the famed Peking duck sauce.

Plums, honey, spices, ginger, garlic, vinegar, chili, and other ingredients make this sauce the greatest for its intended use.

It’s not a sauce from a packet or a squeeze bottle from a fast-food joint. It’s a sauce steeped in tradition and history.

You can keep the plum sauce for up to two weeks or a few months in the refrigerator. Dumplings, egg rolls, wontons, and spring rolls can all be dipped in it. Alternatively, it serves well with fish, shrimp, pig, chicken, and, of course, roasted duck as a finishing sauce.

It also works well as a glaze for baked pork, seafood, mixed with noodles, stir-fry sauce, or basting sauce for grilling meats, poultry, and seafood. Use fresh or dried plums to make this sauce. Apricots, peaches, and even pineapple are used in certain recipe variations of this sauce.

Hoisin sauce, duck sauce, sweet and sour sauce, garlic teriyaki sauce, garlic and prunes, and teriyaki sauce are excellent plum sauce alternatives. Plums with black beans, ginger with plum jam, or garlic with miso, mustard, and raisins, are also preferred by some.

Substitutions for plum sauce

No. 1 Hoisin sauce, for starters

The plum sauce is most similar to hoisin sauce in flavor. Hoisin sauce has a more robust flavor and is hotter. As a result, they’re excellent stand-ins.

Fermented soybean paste is the main ingredient, but you can add vinegar, garlic, red chiles, fennel seeds, or peanut butter to make a variety of flavors.

No. 2 A sauce made from duck

Its orange jelly-like sauce is made from apricots, peaches, pineapples, and plums, along with sugar, vinegar, ginger, and chili peppers.

This sauce gets its name from the first time it was served (with Peking duck).

No. 3 A sauce that is both sweet and sour

You can use brown sugar, white sugar, or honey as sweet components. As sour elements, you might use rice vinegar and pineapple juice. Alternatively, one could use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

The plum sauce is thicker and jammier than the sweet and sour sauce, but it is sweeter and tartier.

No. 4 Teriyaki sauce with garlic

Plum sauce contains garlic among its ingredients. As a result, you can use this sauce as a replacement by adding kidney beans, red vinegar, teriyaki sauce, molasses, and spices as desired.

You can use them for cooking chicken, beef, or fish after blending them. It’s intended for use as a cooking sauce, but it can also be used as a dip or condiment.

No. 5 Garlic and prunes

You can replace the plum sauce with prunes (a tree species other than plums) or dried plums. Boil them until they’re soft and mushy in a pan of water. Allow cooling completely before blending with soy sauce, garlic, and sherry. Enjoy your dinner by adding spices to suit your taste.

No. 6 Plums and black beans

In a saucepan, combine the plums, brown sugar, and water. Cook until the plums are mushy, then add the black bean and garlic. Allow it to cool. In addition, blend in as much soy sauce, vinegar, oil, and spices as desired.

No. 7 Miso, mustard, and raisins with garlic

Raisins are an excellent substitute for plums because they have a similar flavor. You must first soak the raisins for one hour. Then, water, sesame oil, miso paste, mustard, garlic, and crushed red pepper are added. Combine all ingredients in a blender and use them on meat or ham.

No. 8 Plum and ginger jam

Suppose you have a jar of plum jam in your pantry. In that case, you can now make a delectable sauce with it. With two tablespoons jam, one tablespoon teriyaki sauce, two garlic cloves, 1-inch ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper you now have a new sauce made with pantry goods.

What is the best way to make plum sauce from scratch?

Making the plum sauce from scratch is simple. Follow the steps below to make a tasty homemade plum sauce in just a few minutes.

Ingredients:

• Approximately 15-20 plums (depending on the size)
• a quarter cup of soy sauce
• Two tbsp chili sauce (sweet)
• One tbsp. ginger (freshly grated)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
• Six garlic cloves, minced

Instructions:

1. Half the plums and cut each half into six pieces.
2. In a saucepan, combine the plums, garlic, onion, soy sauce, ginger, and chili sauce.
3. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat. And give it a good stir now and then.
4. Blend it, and if it’s too thick, add some water.
5. Keep frozen for six months or refrigerated for two weeks.
6. Plum sauce is a sticky, smooth ingredient that adds a combination of sweet, tart, and flavorsflavor to any dish.
7. You can use apricots, peaches, or pineapple depending on your preferences and the type of sauce you want to prepare. You may need to change recipes based on the ingredients you have on hand, your preferences, and your wishes.
8. Whatever you select, make it your recipe; something that you can share with your loved ones to enjoy together while eating your favorite foods.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is there a difference between hoisin and plum sauce?

Fermented soybean paste is used to make hoisin sauce. It’s also spicier and has a more robust flavor. On the other hand, the plum sauce is produced from the fruit of the plum tree. They do, however, have comparable flavors and can be substituted for one another.

Is plum sauce the same as sweet and sour sauce?

Rice vinegar and sugar were the initial ingredients in the sweet and sour sauce, which was used as a condiment or sauce for fish, meat, and vegetables.

Plum sauce isn’t as sweet and tangy as the sweet and sour sauce, so it’s a different animal altogether. Still, it’s easy to change with the right ingredients.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are a variety of plum sauce replacements. So, if you don’t have any plum sauce on hand, try one of the alternatives listed above.