Powidl

<h2 id="historical-context">Historical context</h2>
<p>Unlike with modern fruit spreads, the original method of long-boiling kills almost all germs while the water removal provides for high sugars content (above 70%), acting as a natural preservative.
</p><p>In this the traditional method of production allows for a long shelf life even in unsealed containers. This property made <i>powidl</i> unique among other pre-industrial fruit products available in the area.
</p><p>The choice of prune plums, as compared to other sugar-rich fruit grown in the area, including other plum varieties, is their riping as one of the last fruits in the season, after the main harvest. The prune trees are less sensitive to cold, making them popular in harsher climate areas. <i>Powidl</i> and <i><a href="/facts/Slivovitz/YTucwgyk">Slivovitz</a></i>, being both products of the fruit with long and very long storage, allowed yearly prunes harvest fluctuations to be compensated readily.
</p><p>The prune plums are naturally suitable for processing, compared to other late-season fruit. When ripe, the prune core separates from the shell easily, unlike with other plum varieties, and the fruit skin has little structural strength, dissolving while cooked.
</p><p>The sturdier Apple or Pear fruit require mechanical core separation and either the removal or pre-processing of the tough skins before cooking. While such processing can be economical with modern machinery, it was a major challenge in the pre-industrial era or in a household setting.
</p>
<h3>Historic role in cooking</h3>
<p>The high-sugar content, combined with good availability and storability, made <i>Powidl</i> into the general sweetener in many traditional recipes.
</p><p>Before processed sugar became affordable with industrial production, <i>Powidl/Povidla</i> was one of the main sweeteners in many local cuisines, alongside Honey.
</p>
<h2 id="current-availability">Current availability</h2>
<p>Most commercial products sold as <i>Powidl/Povidla</i> are made from dried fruit and fruit puree, using ingredients from not fully ripe fruits, then sweetened by processed sugar.
</p><p>The original production recipe <i>Powidl/Povidla</i> is still made under various markings like "organic", "traditional" etc. While a good indication is that traditional <i>Powidl</i> must not include any other ingredient but fruits, that itself is not a guarantee that the traditional long-cooking process was used. Cheaper method of mixing dried fruit with fruit spread and then cooking only shortly is commonly used in production.
</p><p>The traditional method <i>Powidl</i> have a distinct bittery and soury taste from the over-cooking that causes a different composition of the product as compared to the short-cooked versions.
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/P%C4%85czki/nDCtgzsk">Pączki</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Lekvar/5y2seB5U">Lekvar</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Apple_butter/QCVEE6z7">Apple butter</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Varenye/NHfI1gx8">Varenye</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Magiun_of_Topoloveni/vaywC8E1">Magiun of Topoloveni</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Hernik, Józef; Walczycka, Maria; Sankowski, Edward; Harris, Betty J. (2021-12-08). Cultural Heritage—Possibilities for Land-Centered Societal Development. Springer Nature. p. 66. ISBN 978-3-030-58092-6. <a href="978-3-030-58092-6" target="_blank">978-3-030-58092-6</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Farmers and Gardeners of Centre Terre Vivante (2007). Preserving food without freezing or canning: traditional techniques using salt, oil, sugar, alcohol, vinegar, drying, cold storage, and lactic fermentation. Foreword by Deborah Madison (New ed.). White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Pub. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-933392-59-2. OCLC 122280218. <a href="978-1-933392-59-2" target="_blank">978-1-933392-59-2</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Thample, Rachel De (2019-10-03). Gifts from the Modern Larder: Homemade Presents to Make and Give. Octopus. ISBN 978-0-85783-830-8. <a href="978-0-85783-830-8" target="_blank">978-0-85783-830-8</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Kraig, Bruce; Sen, Colleen Taylor (2013). Street Food around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-59884-955-4. <a href="978-1-59884-955-4" target="_blank">978-1-59884-955-4</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

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Powidl