Plums! Any good recipes?

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The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
6
Sunny Wales!
Plumb (I used damsons) apple and wild fennel seed jam.

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Plumb brandy (I used greegage on this one) with Molasses. Needs a year, or so.

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Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
No room Red. Not even for a bucket. But they won't go to waste.

Thanks for the blast from the past too! I remember trying to say "It's frothy man!" in a deep and cool-sounding voice when I was young :)
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Its that time of year two socks (I want to say "Two eyes" - but few others are old enough to remember "little nose" these days :)). Abundant fruit and time to preserve! That's what I love about making our own food and drink - it will soon be too cold to make beer and wine - so we "feel" the seasons. 300 bottles of beer sounds a lot - but its less than a bottle a day for a year - so when you have a few friends to thank for helping - you soon go through it. This time of year always feels like frantic canning and pickling and brewing to make the most of the abundance to me - knowing that soon we will have lost the "window" .
 

Two Socks

Settler
Jan 27, 2011
750
0
Norway
I live in the middle of a big city, and I feel lucky that I get at least a little bit of that feeling. With no garden and little space it is easy to miss out on the seasons. That is why I love seasonal projects like this. I dream of a little garden where I can grow some plants and have a fruit-tree or two.
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
My haul from yesterday. I could double it with minimal effort but there is such a thing as too much fruit. Apples are mainly windfalls from the orchard at my nature reserve, pears are almost all from a fully laden pear tree that came down in the recent winds, and the bullace are from a Gwent Wildlife Trust reserve from an obscure corner - no-one else seems to have found these four trees. :)

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I don't know what variety the apples are but these are all from one tree.
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Likewise on the pears, although I suspect these are perry pears as they are small and hard.
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Dave

Hill Dweller
Sep 17, 2003
6,019
9
Brigantia
This thread made me so hungry, i've just got the last load of rhubarb from the garden. Crumble and custard for tea. Yum Yum.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Might I suggest the following for the pears?

This is one of my favourite recipes for a little luxury over winter. You will need

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2 ½ cups of granulated sugar
½ pint of water
2lbs of pears peeled and cored (about 8 pears)
4 bay leaves
½ pint of brandy

The first step is to peel each pear, then cut it into quarters and cut out the core, pith and seeds.

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Next put the sugar and water in a heavy pan and bring to the boil. Simmer the syrup for 10 minutes until it thickens and then put the pears into the syrup.

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Turn the heat right down and poach the pears until tender – I find 20 minutes is about right but it depends on ripeness and size, 1 minute before the end add the bay leaves.

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Take the pan from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Us a slotted to spoon to lift out the pears and pack them carefully into jars.

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Put the sugar syrup back on the heat (take out the bay leaves first) and boil vigorously for 5 minutes to thicken the syrup.

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Take the syrup off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then pour in the brandy stirring well. Its important to let the syrup cool first a little or all the alcohol will evaporate.

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Pour the brandy syrup into the jars ensuring the fruits are covered. Seal the jars well.

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There is often some brandy syrup left over. Please dispose of this carefully since its sweet and delicious but not suitable for children. My personal method of disposal involves ice cream and a spoon.

Red
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
That's a great recipe Red. I don't know if my pears are suitable since they are very small and very hard, but I have enough that it is worth a try.
 

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