The Plums are ripe!!!

[Mare Owner]

The first ones anyway. I have no clue what to do with them, so called my husband's uncle and wife and they came over and collected a pail full. I gotta learn how to can things!

I sampled one and the fruit was lovely, but the skin bitter, and the pit is HUGE, nothing like plums with lots of flesh in the stores (plum trees are new to me). Hubby's aunt says she cooks them all down and strains them, the pits get all soft and strain out, you don't pit them.

Interesting.... Waiting to hear from her on how her batch of jam comes out, and in the meantime, more plums are ripening. Next year I'll be ready!

[red]

we got our first plums too - only a handful off each tree but its their first year so not complaining

they freeze well - half and stone them then pack in a box and freeze - then you can make jam or cook with them when you have time.

i love plum crumble.. the plums mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon and a nice crumble topping... yum

[Millymollymandy]

I don't know about red plums, but don't bother trying to freeze yellow plums or greengages. I don't begin to understand the chemical process but basically they blacken in the air - so as soon as they are defrosted, even in a tupperware like container, they'll turn black with the flavour of prunes! What a waste of manhours I spent stewing up plums last year!

[frozenthunderbolt]

frozen or unfrozen they will still make a beauttttiful wine (if you cross your fingers and hold your moth the right way) otherwise drying them can be a good option - cut in half and remove the stone (this works bette with some types than others) then spread in the sun or build a simple solar dryer to put them in untill they turn rubbery/leathery like a GOOD quality dried apricott - to the chemical trash that one so often sees today. give a few hours to cool down then pack in a dry airtight contianer. Check periodically for mold (it is very unlikley to form, and if it does it means they probably wernt realy dry enough) and consume at your leasure in musli fruit cakes crumbles or as is!
Another good use is fruit leather - lotsa recipies and instructions online.
Bottled plumbs are devine though - the syrup from them mixed with soda or cold clear water is the perfect summer thirst quencher