Selfsufficientish.com

It's only one small tree!!! Some years it does little, some years it does very small plums, but not this year, already at least two bucketfuls of fallen have gone in the green bin

So far made:- Plum Cheese, Plum Jam, Plum Leather (still in the oven - we'll see how it turns out)

I can't pick them quick enough to stop them wasting, such a shame

found a tree a couple of weeks age and spent a whole week cookinf stoning them
about 55kg in all
even took them into work to use up
made jam
squash
spicey plum sauce
pickled
chutey
froze some for wine
that with out cakes and pies
but to good to go to waste

55Kg WOW, doubt I've picked that much and the tree is in my hedgerow.

one Kg tester of balsamic chutney last night, and some plum and ginger jam, various things aching and paining with standing for a long time

Next - a different version of plum leather (and now I want a dehydrator) and a try at cordial(if i can find a receipt)

Recipes for 'spicy plum sauce' would be really useful , how do you make squash?

I tried the steamer method and it worked ok.
Just stone and half the plums layer on a steamer basket, but the bottom hard white tray in and steam, the juice collects in the bottom tray.
You have to keep an eye on it, and inevitably the juice goes in the water trough.
There are some plans for a solar dehydrator out there, but it does need full sun.

I had these once, and only once, at a market in Bath some years ago. A fellow who wildcrafted had picked these somewhere in New Forest and they were absolutely gorgeous! Small, yellow, and amazingly sweet. I have no idea what variety they were or where they were but I'd happily like to find them again.

Anyone know what these are? I've managed to find some yellow plums in the T***o but, of course, while they're nice they're nowhere near the same. I am even more motivated now as sprog (who doesn't eat stone fruit for some reason) loves these yellow plums and so that's another victory on the food front.

If they are very very small (say max 15mm dia) then they are probably Mirabelle plums.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirabelle_plum

gray_bale wrote:If they are very very small (say max 15mm dia) then they are probably Mirabelle plums.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirabelle_plum

1+ you beat me to it

There are many of these growing wild in Bulgaria, the fruit is yellow, not much bigger than cherries. They are often used to make rakia.

We have loads of these trees in our area. I have a bag full in the kitchen waiting to be jam. Made lots of pies and crumbles in the past, never made jam before so looking forward to giving it a go.

I agree with pach, make rakia and trade it for things you like!

merlin wrote:I agree with pach, make rakia and trade it for things you like!

ONLY in New Zealand and a few Eastern Block countries (through the govt still) In nearly every country its either wildly (Arabia) strongly(USA UK) or technically(Auz) Illegal.
Be aware Be careful, then that said Have fun!
Even in NZ - one of the few countries that has legal home distilling - it is for personal consumption only - sell it or trade it and you will have your gear taken, be fined and/or imprisoned and be blacklisted for buying new brewing gear.

Yes, very true. I almost forgot about all that control and oppression, now I remember why I moved here. I have a freind back in the UK, she has been told she must get rid of her two chickens from her garden, never mind the two huge Rotties one side of her and the chap with the ouside avery the other, strange, all very strange