P is for plum

One of the established fruit trees we inherited at Dreamland is a beautiful delicious plum, which so far has been bearing very well the last two years. In fact, initially we wanted to keep Dreamland all natural, without bird nets. But the clump of four trees that this plum is part of typically bear so well, and get so ripped apart by the birds, that we succumbed to the pressure and enclosed the whole clump in permanent nets, which we roll up out of season. There are more fruit trees outside the nets, so the wildlife gets its “fair share.”

However, this particular tree has a particular little quirk – and that is, everything gets ripe at once! No not “at once”, like in the same week as other fruit trees, this is literally all “at once!” As you pick one, plum, the four next to drop off like lemmings off a cliff. So you have to gently pick the whole bunch at once. We had a massive harvest and we gorged ourselves dark pink on the plums. After eating as much as we could and giving away lots to friends and neighbours, we still had three large fruit boxes left over.

Plums - harvest

So, what’s to do? Well, Patricia got going behind the cooktop. The first batch was turned into a delicious chutney.

Plum - chutney

The second batch was turned into jam – one lot plain plum, and the other lot infused with fresh myrtle from the garden.

Plum - jam 2

Well, in addition to her great and healthy cooking skills, there’s a reason that plum rhymes with yum!

Plum - produce

A sample of plum produce

Of course, we were not the only ones to benefit from the plums. The young chooks had a feast as well. Initially they weren’t interested, until we broke the plums open and offered it to them. Then they got going!

Plums - chicken feast

Chook plum feast

About martin@muchmoremulch.blog (207 Articles)
My name is Martin Rennhackkamp, I now live happily in Lara, Victoria, Australia with my wife, two children and two dogs. My interests, apart from the obvious Organic, Biodynamic and Permaculture Gardening and Farming, include sustainable living, surfing, horse-riding, a wide variety of music, dancing, nature, birds, reading, Christianity and a few other things which I never get to...

6 Comments on P is for plum

  1. Plums are one of my favourite fruit. I agree, there is a reason plum rhymes with yum!

  2. We turn ours into plum jam/preserve, just using sugar and crab apples for pectin. You have inspired me to decide to try making chutney as well this year though.

  3. Plum chutney! Sounds delicious!

  4. Fantastic harvest!

  5. Ripening all at once is ideal for the commercial market, not so much for home use! Is this a japanese plum do you know? It looks a little rounder than European plums. Great to have a glut and be able to use it anyhow.

    • martin@muchmoremulch.blog // January 23, 2019 at 9:11 am // Reply

      To tell you honestly we don’t know… it’s one of the trees we “inherited” at Dreamland. So far it bears beautifully each year 🙂

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