Plum Compote (Czech Klevela)

This is a traditional and almost forgotten Czech recipe for Klevela, a delicious plum compote stewed in its own juice. This authentic Czech sauce offers a subtle flavor and aroma that will pleasantly surprise you. Try this easy plum compote recipe today and bring a taste of Czech cuisine to your table!

In the recent past, plums were one of the most widespread fruits in the Czech lands. Every garden had at least one plum tree, and local roads were lined with avenues of wild plum trees, where this delicious stone fruit grew in abundance.

Most of the time, Czechs cooked jam (Povidla) out of the surplus plums, dried them and used as prunes, or distilled the world-famous slivovitz. 

Klevela was a quick way for Bohemian Grannies to process fresh plums into a sweet compote. My stepfather, who came from southern Bohemia, brought klevela plum compote to our house – thank you, Zdeněk!

MY TIP: Try these plum dumplings with poppy seed (they taste heavenly!)

➜ What is Klevela?

Klevela is a compote of plums stewed in their own juices, sweetened with white sugar. Spiced rum or a little vinegar is added for the final touch. When finished, the compote has a semi-fluid consistency with recognizable pieces of fruit.

The still hot compote is poured into clean jars, capped, and turned upside down to cool. No canning is necessary. 

I describe further in the article what this fruit compote is best served with.

➜ Pronunciation

To give you an idea of how the Czech word "klevela" is pronounced, I have recorded a short audio clip for you.

➜ Ingredients

You need only three ingredients to make homemade Czech klevela:

• Fresh plums; well ripened, ideally Italian plums–this plum variety most closely resembles the Czech ones. Firm plums are not a must, the fruit can be softer.
• Granulated sugar; serves not only to sweeten but also as a preservative, which prevents the plum sauce from spoiling
• Rum; Czechs use so-called tuzemák Božkov, which is actually not real rum. I did a little research among the Czech community living in the U.S., and a good substitute would be Kirkland spiced rum (available at Costco) or Austrian Stroh 54

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

As for equipment, prepare clean jars with screw-on lids. 

Two pounds of fresh plums (1 kg) will make about 3 1/2 cups of compote / 28 fluid ounces / 830 ml.

➜ Instructions with photos

STEP 1: Rinse and drain the plums. I trim the plums with a knife, twist the two halves slightly (each on a different side) and separate them from the stone, then remove the stone. This is easy if the plums are well ripened. You don't need to remove the plum skins.

Cut the plum halves in half once more, this will give you quartered plums.

STEP 2: Place the plum quarters in a large, wide saucepan. Pour a little water over them; about a quarter of a cup is enough.

Turn the stove on to medium-high heat and cover with a lid. Soon the plums will start cooking. The added water will encourage the fresh fruit to release its juices and not burn.

Reduce the heat to low, remove the lid, and allow the plums to simmer until they form a thick liquid sauce with fruit chunks. This will take approximately 20 minutes. From time to time, give it a good stir with a long-handled wooden spoon.

STEP 3: Add sugar and stir well once the plums are soft and swimming in the juices.

STEP 4: Cook for another 20 minutes. The liquid will evaporate, and the klevela will thicken slightly, but the fruit pieces will remain visible.

Stir in the rum with the fruit.

STEP 5: Prepare jars with screw caps. Wash them thoroughly in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water. Rinse the jars well and set them aside to dry.

STEP 6: Using a ladle, carefully pour the hot plum mixture into clean, still warm jars. Wipe the rim of the jar to keep it clean. Place the jar's lid on top, tighten it, and turn it upside down. Leave to cool completely.

➜ Serving

Wondering what the klevela pairs best with? It tastes wonderful as a topping on lívance pancakes, waffles, or French toast. It goes perfectly with a piece of spice cake. At our house, we make simple unfilled farmers' cheese dumplings, which we top with klevela like it was a fruit sauce.

Don't know what to jazz up the breakfast porridge with? Mix in some plum klevela to it. Stewed fruits are also the perfect accompaniment to Greek yogurt or your bowl of vanilla ice cream.

➜ Storage

Store the cooled jars with plum compote in a cool, dark place. If your jars were clean and you poured the stewed fruits into them hot, they will last in your pantry for about a year.

➜ Useful tips

• I put the washed jars to dry in the oven at 100°F (30-50°C). Poured in a warm jar, the compote doesn't get the same shock as if you were putting it into a cold jar. Plus, the glass will handle the hot klevela better if the temperature difference is not as significant.
• When you close and turn the jar, the hot fruit mixture will make sure that the lid sticks well. Because klevela contains quite a lot of sugar, there is no need to preserve it.
• If you are wondering whether you only need three ingredients to make a great fruit compote, then let me assure you that you don't need anything more. Not even cinnamon sticks, star anise, or lemon juice, nothing like that. Simply ripe plums, sugar, and rum!

More tasty recipes:

• Cold strawberry sauce
• Zwetschgenkuchen
• Easy kolacky cookies