Show us your plums

[Squaredy]

I am an enthusiastic but inexperienced plum grower.  I thought it was about time I mined the Arbtalk knowledge base to get some tips!

 

I planted four plum trees in my garden about twelve years ago.  Two Czar and two Victoria.  I don’t exactly lavish them with care but I do what I have time to do.

 

 This year the crop has been amazing.  The one Czar always has many hundreds of plums; but this year the Victorias have many hundreds also.  And boy I love Victoria plums.

 

 The sheer amount of fruit has been a problem this year.  I did remove many of them weeks ago, but still branches have been snapping under the weight.

 

 Also what can you do with so many plums?  I have made plum gin, stewed plums, and even added some to my 

North Dakota Bean Bake.  I am tempted to make plum wine, any thoughts on this?  I do have most of the kit as I used to make wine many years ago.

 

 Meanwhile true to the thread title, here are my plums.

 

[scbk]

8 minutes ago, Squaredy said:

 Also what can you do with so many plums? 

 

Can you post them up to the Highlands?

0 plums this year, frost got the blossom

 

Will swap for dead elm timber, 2-4ft diameter 

[5thelement]

The only way I can shift the volume I get is jam making. 

[Squaredy]

9 minutes ago, scbk said:

Can you post them up to the Highlands?

0 plums this year, frost got the blossom

 

Will swap for dead elm timber, 2-4ft diameter 

I can get a load of plums to you no problem.  So long as you can get the elm logs to me.  I think I’d rather be your postman than mine…

[sime42]

A very nice problem to have.

I'd just make bugger loads of jam and stewed plums. Both keep for years if done properly. Plus a bit of wine on the side. I've not done the latter but it can't be that different from most other wines. I'm sure C.J.J. Berry will have a recipe.

[daveatdave]

plumb duff, crumble, eves pudding using plumbs instead of apples. Freeze some for later use. plumb torte. cake, muffins, bread, chutney, plumb gin, vodka, whisky. cobbler, sauce, will go with duck. Pork and salmon. Christmas pudding, plumb ice-cream.  

[slack ma girdle]

Friut leather uses up loads.

Cook the plums with a little water until soft .

Push them through a sieve, and tip onto a lined baking tray.

Put in the oven on really low setting until its dry and slightly tacky to the touch.

Cut it into strips and roll it up and scoff when you need a sweet snack

It will keep for months in the fridge.

Edited August 15, 2023 by slack ma girdle

[Peasgood]

Befriend a Romanian ang get them to show you how to make pálinka.

I did it years ago and it is surprisingly easy, I stopped before I drank myself to death.

[Muddy42]

Also you could juice it? I have a small cheap juice press.  Half the fruit and remove the stones. If the fruit is soft you might be able to press it straight away otherwise pulverize it in a bucket or freeze and thaw to break down the cells. The juice freezes well.

 

Any technique like this where you discard the pulp will use up loads more fruit by volume and create a more concentrated finished product.  Jam is fine, but you're effectively doubling the volume by adding sugar.

 

Other than that give away as much as possible!

Edited August 15, 2023 by Muddy42

[sime42]

1 hour ago, Peasgood said:

Befriend a Romanian ang get them to show you how to make pálinka.

I did it years ago and it is surprisingly easy, I stopped before I drank myself to death.

That came to my mind as well, didn't suggest it though as I didn't think anyone else would've heard of it. Palinka is lovely stuff, got a few pleasant memories of drinking it out in the sticks in Transylvania. A girl friend's uncle used to make it. He just seemed to chuck a load of plums in a big barrel, leave them to ferment/gently rot for a few weeks and then take it down the road to the guy with the village Still. Best served with chunks of salted pig fat!