Powidl (or ''powidel'', from Czech ''povidla'') is a fruit spread prepared from the

prune plum The prune plum (''Prunus domestica'' subsp. ''domestica'') is a fruit-bearing tree, or its fruit. It is a subspecies of the plum '' Prunus domestica''. The freestone fruit is similar to, but distinct from, the clingstone damson (''Prunus dome ...

(zwetschge). Unlike jam or

marmalade Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It is also made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamo ...

, and unlike the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

'' Pflaumenmus'' (plum puree), powidl is prepared without additional

sweeteners A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides a sweetness like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners, making it a zero-calorie () or low-calorie sweetener. Artificial sweeteners may be ...

gelling agent A gel is a semi-solid that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state, although the liquid phase may still dif ...

s. Powidl is cooked for several hours, in order to achieve the necessary sweetness and consistency. The plums used should be harvested as late as possible, ideally after the first frosts, in order to ensure they contain enough sugar. In

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. Th ...

and Bohemia, powidl is the basis for buchtels, powidl cake and

Germknödel Germknödel ( in Austrian German) is a fluffy yeast dough dumpling ( knödel), filled with spiced plum jam and served with melted butter and a mix of poppy seeds and sugar on top. It is occasionally – even though less traditional – served ...

, but it is also used as a sandwich spread. Powidl will keep for a long time, especially if kept in traditional crockery. Traditionally, large amounts of powidl to be used as a winter store and natural sweetener were prepared in late autumn during a communal event. Since constantly stirring the stew was exhausting work, people took turns, and did easier work in between turns. The Czech term ''povidla'' is plural only (the Polish word ''powidła'' as well).

References

*Translated from the corresponding article in the German Wikipedia, retrieved February 4, 2005.
Powidl recipe

References

See also