Traditionally, large amounts of powidl to be used as a winter store and natural sweetener were prepared in late autumn during a communal event.

[3] Powidl is a key ingredient of the popular Austrian street food pofesen, which is a jam-filled form of French toast.

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.

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.

The sturdier Apple or Pear fruit require mechanical core separation and either the removal or pre-processing of the tough skins before cooking.

The traditional method Powidl 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.