8 January at 20:26
I found these roadside today. Didn't have long. 3.8 Kilos in all. Going back tomorrow. (Easily 4 times that much for easy picking). They are sweet, and have a slight hint if apricot. We are going to try to make our first ever jam. I have some questions for experienced persons if appropriate please.
Question 1) Does anybody want me to save them some seeds.
Question 2) what is the easiest way to remove seeds for jam making.
... Question 3) What is the easiest natural way to make jam from these please.
Question 4) I'll be going back tomorrow. Would anybody like a cutting?
Paul Angus
We have a huge tree of these..have no idea what they're called, but they're delicious!! Apricot flavours maybe even mango but the skin tastes like plum..8 January at 20:32 · Like · 1
Kevin Brewer There is no easy way to remove seeds. Leave em in and remove in the eating. Unless you have kids, then it is a night in front of the teli and a knife. These plums seem to have a seed easily removed.
8 January at 20:36 ·
Christine Hobbs my guess as it is very similar to one growing in my neighbors yard
Mirabelle de Nancy
A traditional Mirabelle, widely grown in north-eastern France.
Identification
• Fruit colour: Yellow / mottled
• Stone clinging?: Free stone
Using
• Uses: Eat fresh
• Uses: Cooking
• Flavour style: Sweeter
Growing
• Flowering period: Mid season
• Flowering group: 3
• Fertility: Partially self-fertile8 January at 20:47 ·
Danny Mahoney I would love some seeds if you could save some
8 January at 20:54 ·
Leo Campfield me to ..please ...please
Dale Morgan Are they a plum?
When making jam just cut them in half and cook them up, the seed will come away after they are soft and you can scoop them out of the pot. Jam is usually 1 cup cooked fruit to 1 cup of sugar. Add some lemon juice too.
8 January at 21:30 ·
Vivek Singh
Some seeds please8 January at 21:49 ·
Sandra McHarg
My seed grown yellow plum sounds a lot like the "Mirabelle" plum. Could be I guess? Being partially self fertile it would be more likely to produce true to type seedlings.8 January at 22:16
Amanda Rohner Carthew What luck! Love free finds!
8 January at 22:29 ·
Megan Platte Would love some seeds & a cutting...sound yummy (smile emoticon)
8 January at 22:48
Leo Campfield
David Poland around about where do you live ..i would love some seeds and a cutting8 January at 22:50 ·
Megan Platte Am in Berwick
8 January at 22:51 ·
David Poland Ok folks I live in South Gippsland.
If someone can tell me how to correctly take cuttings and when is best to do so, I'll attempt to get a bunch.
I'll also need to know how long to cut, trim leaves or not, poke into damp sand of some sort etc.
- happy to help.8 January at 23:36 ·
Cecilia Dart-Thornton http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Cherry_Plums_8546.php
9 January at 08:29 ·
Seasons/Availability
Cherry plums are available in the summer.
Current Facts
Cherry plums, botanical name Prunus cerasifera, are a stone fruit and member of the Rosaceae family. There are dozens of Cherry plum cultivars chosen for their fruit whereas many Cherry plum trees are often grown for ornamental purposes. Such varieties are selected for their bold purple foliage and fragrant and attractive spring blossoms. All Cherry plum trees produce edible fruit, though they are classified as a cooking cultivar. The most common commercial varieties of Cherry plums are Thundercloud and Newport.
Description/Taste
Cherry plums are petit, the size and shape of ping pong balls, near perfectly rounded with a slight groove near the fruit's stem end. The skin is paper thin and flushed with cherry tones and peach speckles and hues. The flesh is marbled with tones of peach and cherry, succulent and tender with bold and bright flavors. At first bite, the fruit is sweet and spicy and then it finishes with a perfect kiss of tart to balance the sub acid sweetness. The Cherry plum contains a small central pit that clings gently to the flesh.
Applications
As Cherry plums are considered a benchmark cooking plum, sure bets would be to preserve and jam, make pies and crumbles, but fresh-eating should be the first choice to experience the unique flavors of the Cherry plum. Complimentary pairings include other stone fruits such as peaches, apricots and almonds, berries, vanilla, cream, chocolate and yogurt. Savory pairings to consider include salad greens such as arugula and mizuna, herbs such as basil and cilantro, cheeses both aged and fresh including cheddar and chevre, grilled seafood and roasted meats such as lamb and pork. Store ripe Cherry plums in the crisper for up to one week.
Geography/History
The Cherry plum is native to Asia. It is said to be a direct parent of the European plum, P. domestica. The trees are deciduous, cold hardy and drought tolerant. They are however prone to disease and pests. Trees grow rapidly and their life span short lived, 20 years. Trees can be propagated by seed or grafting. Cherry plum trees are often used as rootstock for other plum cultivars, especially European varieties. -
Alexandra Westlund
Chuck them all in the pot, cook them down, strain and pick seeds out, return skins and pulp left in strainer to pot, measure what is left, add half the volume in sugar, cook until set (check set using a little on a frozen plate), let cool for a bit so it doesn't break your jars, pour into jars and into the fridge to make sure they set (I wait a few days) then into the freezer for long term storage.9 January at 08:55 ·
Alexandra Westlund I like my jam sourish and I store it in the freezer (except the jar currently being eaten) because of the lower sugar content, and also because I'm reusing jars and don't feel that it is safe to not can them properly.9 January at 08:56 ·
Cheryl Wedding I would LOVE some seeds have never tried plum tree cuttings but there is always a first. Yes please.9 January at 10:07 ·
Susana South West Victoria
I boil down then strain out /scoop out seeds add cup for cup sugar to pulp after water has boiled off a bit, put in jars hot ( jars hot from 100deg Celsius oven = sterilised, add lids while hot and listen for pop of good seal as they cool.Will keep for a year in pantry if sealed well. Seeds no good once cooked! 9 January at 11:02 ·
Sandra McHarg You can put the pop top jars through a water bath too. If the button on the middle doesn't pull down it hasn't sealed properly, put it in the fridge and use it up. You need to inspect the lids to make sure they're in good condition, and the glass isn't as heavy as proper preserving bottles so I'd look out for any cracked ones. Hope this page is helpful. http://www.sustainablecommunities.vic.gov.au/files/Introduction_to_preserving_handout.pdf
9 January at 11:08 ·
Introduction to Preserving with Kat Lavers – workshop notes
Why preserve food?
• Cost. Spread your garden harvest further and take advantage of foods that are in season and
on special.
• Flavour. Nothing compares to the flavour of your own produce.
• Health. You can make preserves without perservatives, and fermentation – an ancient
preservation technique – actually increases the nutritional value of your food!
Important safety notes
Preserving food is time-honoured and safe activity but, like everyday cooking, it must be carried out
properly to avoid risk of food poisoning. Always check methods, times and temperatures for
preserving in an up-to-date and reputable reference book. And obviously, be careful with hot
equipment and sharp knives.
Bottling in a water bath with Fowlers
1. Wash Fowlers jars in hot, soapy water and rinse.
2. Stretch rubber seal into groove on jar and check there are no
twists.
3. Pack jar with fresh or cooked fruit, sauce or chutney (but avoid
large temperature differences between fruit and jar that may
crack glass).
4. Pour over water or syrup to just below rim.
5. Put on lid and clip.
6. Load Fowlers jars into Sterilizer and cover with cold water.
7. As a guide, heat slowly to 91C, maintain temperature for at least
45 minutes, then cool.
8. Leave jars overnight, then remove clips and check for seal.
9. Label and store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
Bottling in a water bath with pop-top jars
1. Wash jars in hot, soapy water and rinse.
2. Heat jars in oven at 100C for 15 minutes.
3. Check lids for dents, rust and wear (or use new lids). Put lids in bowl and tip over boiling
water. Leave in bowl until needed.
4. Bring fruit, sauce or chutney to simmer on stove.
5. When sauce, jars and lids are ready, take a jar out of the oven and test for correct temperature
by dropping a teaspoon of sauce onto base of jar. If it sizzles rapidly, wait a minute and try
again. If you put the sauce into a jar that is too hot, it will crack the glass.
6. Quickly fill the jar to the brim, wipe rim with a clean cloth, then screw lid on tightly.
7. Allow to cool and listen for the pop! Leave jars overnight then check for seal.
8. Label and store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
Further resources:
'Wild Fermentation' by Sandor Katz. See also wildfermentation.com
'Nourishing Traditions' by Sally Fallon
'Putting Food By' by Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg and Beatrice Vaughan
'Australian Preserving with Fowlers Vacola'
Costante Imports. 377 Bell St, Preston. www.costanteimports.com.au
Alexandra Westlund How likely are they to crack in your experience? It would be sad to lose jam to broken glass frown emoticon9 January at 11:11 ·
Susana South West Victoria Never had any crack in 30 years of preserving..none at all. If put in a cold oven and slowly heated and held at 100deg while making the jam, it hardens the glass a little. Boiling also hardens it a little but risks cracking when on a rattling boil. I did crack/shatter a vitamiser glass once while holding it- by pouring hot soup into cold glass- just totally not thinking...ended up with nasty cut that left a scar on my wrist just missed artery.LOL9 January at 11:15 ·
Anthea Williams Would love a cutting or two, I'm on South East side of Melbourne, so can pick up from Gippsland. Yum!9 January at 11:43 ·
Sandra McHarg Whew, near miss there Susana! I've got a stock of Fowlers Jars for my fruit, and I make my jams with the usual amount of sugar, so I've never been in a position where I've needed to water process with pop top jars. I've known other people to use them very successfully though, so it's a technique I've mentally "filed away" for whenever I need it. One lady I met had a big stockpile of 1Iitre wide mouthed juice bottles (Spring Valley sort) which she used year after year for bottling fruit with very few breakages. I'd say it's something to look out for, but not to be paranoid about (sensible caution). Pop top jars have the advantage of being able to screw the lid back on after opening. If I'm not using the entire contents of a Fowlers jar in one go, I need to transfer it into another container.9 January at 11:44 ·
Alexandra Westlund I wish mason/ball jars were easier and cheaper to get here9 January at 11:45 ·
Anthea Williams I clean my jars and lids in the dishwasher, do the oven thing Susana South West Victoria suggests for the glass jar, and for the lids I have a pot of boiling water on the stove, and put in 6 or so for a few minutes, pull them out with tongs and air dry business side up on clean teatowels, so they can cool down enough to touch. Then fill a batch of six, cover, clean etc, then do the next batch. It helps me to feel something is finished cos it takes hours! Also, Sally Wise is the guru in this space, her website is great, also great books 'A year in a bottle' is focussed on small batches of preserves, chutneys etc, bit more manageable in time and space for working folks. The green tomato pickle was a real winner.9 January at 11:52
Anthea Williams If you are making jam, rather than preserving in a water,bath, you can use old jars, just make sure they are very very clean and the lids are metal. We hunted high and low last year. Big W, Kmart, target and Harris scarf had best deals.9 January at 11:56 ·
Susana South West Victoria Just be aware as I mentioned in another post, that the cheap jars from China do not last with vinegar based contents as they rust out very quickly but are fine with sugar based jams.9 January at 13:21 ·
Alexandra Westlund The lids do?
9 January at 13:22
Susana South West Victoria Sandra McHarg you can get deep plastic pop off tops for Fowlers jars for after opening.I have a set of two that I used constantly, my Fowlers jars are used both in waterbathing fruit, making jams and chutneys in the smallest 500 gram jars, some of my jars date back pre war to my grandmother. Though nowadays I do also microwave bottle in Fowlers after watching Isabel Webb do a demo and buying her book at the Wimmera Field days years ago. So now if I only have less than six jars of anything I do them in the microwave.9 January at 13:26 ·
Susana South West Victoria Yes Alexandra Westlund the lids rust out extremely quickly with vinegar based things like pickles or chutneys. I had to throw away a full years supply of chutney last season grrr....in four weeks rust had broken right through some lids and others had begun to rust and rust can contain ptomaine(sp?) poisoning so not worth the risk.9 January at 13:57 ·
Alexandra Westlund Yes definitely not! How can I be sure I'm using jars that won't happen with? Though... I've just been doing some reading about Fowlers Vacola, checking out prices and looking at what's available on gumtree... I might be a convert!
9 January at 13:58
Susana South West Victoria Big W now carry Ball jars Alexandra Westlund but not cheap as made in USA. But good lids.
9 January at 14:00 ·
Alexandra Westlund Oh!
9 January at 14:01 ·
Anthea Williams They have some start up kits that are slightly better value.
9 January at 14:02 ·
Susana South West Victoria op shops sell used jars and you can buy vinegar proof new lids from several suppliers.I reuse pickled onion jars or pasta jars for vinegar based preserving after checking lids for scratches. Local op shop is a godsend here.9 January at 14:02 ·
Anthea Williams But big lesson for me is to go.gif.SMALL jars for jams,chutneys etc. smaller.the.better.
9 January at 14:03 ·
Anthea Williams And I agree with Susana South West Victoria, try to do with the old ones. Pasta and also our favourite herbed feta comes in perfect jars. Dishwasher. Done.
9 January at 14:05 ·
Sandra McHarg I use plastic lidded jars (vegemite etc.) for pickles and chutneys. Because of the high salt/sugar/vinegar/spice levels in these they don't go off in amy hurry so don't need to be in completely airtight jars. I've had a green tomato chutney eat away at lids of reused jam jars despite the plastic coating they have.
9 January at 14:14 ·
Susana South West Victoria You can never have too many Fowlers Vacola jars, gumtree, op shops, farm clearing sales ebay all have them.Once you have stainless steel lids and a supply of clips all you need is new rings each season..they used to have reusable rings but took them off the market as they stretched and were not good seals second time around - they were white and current normal rings are red rubber. I still have original pre war Vacola books right up to current days- a few things have changed ( no bottling any non acid foods like vegies or egg products any more) though I see they have a christmas pudding back on their website after many years off the menu. This is a jar retailer but have no experience of them,http://www.aussimasonpreservingjars.com.au/ I buy bulk new jars and lids from http://www.plasdene.com.au/Aussi Mason Preserving Jars We sell Mason Jars, Preserving Jars and Preserving Equipmentaussimasonpreservingjars.com.au9
January at 14:53 ·
Susana South West Victoria here's a link to the snap on caps for after opening Fowlers jars. http://fowlersvacola.com.au/.../preserving.../snap-on-capsSnap-on Caps4 per packetPlease note that Snap-on Caps used with bottles manufactured prior to 1970 may not produce an...fowlersvacola.com.au
9 January at 14:55 ·
Alexandra Westlund I saw someone had been using the Fowlers jars in their pressure canner. I wonder how safe that is in terms of food safety. They are apparently sealing well,9 January at 17:41 ·
Alexandra Westlund To the OP :I just made some jam with tiny yellow plums off my tree, smaller than the ones you have here, I think... Picking all of the seeds out is a bit of a palaver, but I think worth it for not having to add pectin. I pour the lot into a colander (mine is plastic but I hear a metal one is better) and stir and press it around until I get as much of the pulp out as possible, then pick all of the seeds out and return the rest of the pulp to the pot after measuring it. It sets up wonderfully, and I personally don't add extra lemon juice because they can be quite sour. I also pick maybe a third to half that are just under ripe, again for the pectin content, and the really ripe ones give you the nice sweet flavours.
9 January at 17:49 ·
Alexandra Westlund Oh, and I add a splash of water (maybe a quarter of a cup?) to the pot to make sure the plums don't catch on the bottom and burn. And don't do more than 6 cups of fruit at a time, I've read that it can be difficult to get the jam to set if cooking more and my experience reflects that (though when I cooked the giant pots worth and it didn't set, I just froze it and recooked 6 cups at a time when it was convenient, you could do that too if you really need to get them all cooked.)
9 January at 17:57 ·
David Poland Thankyou. I've never done the jam thing before, so was hoping I'd get some info as to how to do it, as posted above. So I'll cook about 6 cups of fruit at a time, removing the stones part way. It sounds as though I should be Pouring the hot fruit into a jar that has just been pulled out of hot water, then cap with a non scratched, coated steel lid, and allow to vacuum seal as it cools???? I was thinking of filling the jars to within 1-2 centimetres from the top, and only using jars that have the little circle pop thingy in the centre of their lid? We were going to try the op shop tomorrow. Also I thought there was more pectin in the riper fruits?
9 January at 18:41 ·
Princess Jewelsyann Nope David, pectin reduces as the fruit ripens, it gets broken down. Plums generally need assistance, really depends on how ripe the fruit is. Apples are FULL of pectin, so you could add some chopped apples....wont affect the flavour. Sugar also assists with the thickening. Its all a bit of an art.....the more you make the better you will get. Hope that helps.
9 January at 19:13 ·
Lois Lincoln Hi David Poland don't need the "pop thingy" in the lid it do's not matter, I leave less than 1cm gap in the jar, I also do jars & lids in the oven as someone else has said earlier & take a couple out at a time IE hot jar + hot jam + hot lid should get you a well sealed jar. Some fruits have more pectin than others and under ripe has more than ripe fruit. Bernie9 January at 19:15 · Like · 1
David Poland Thank you Princess Jewelsyann & Lois Lincoln Bernie. I really appreciate the help as a first timer.
9 January at 20:04 ·
Sandra McHarg I fill the jars as close to the rim as I can get them, because it shrinks down as it cools anyway.9 January at 21:41 ·
Susana South West Victoria Add the sugar after you have cooked and strained off the pips and returned pulp to pan- measuring as you return it,- using 1 cup sugar to 1 cup cherryplum pulp as a rough guide,stir until all sugar is dissolved to prevent burning. I would either cut up and cook a lemon with the plums before straining or add some lemon juice for pectin just to be safe.10 January at 15:29 ·
David Poland Today10 January at 18:55 ·
Susana South West Victoria I am having gold cherry plum jam on toast morning.11 January at 10:21 ·
Davey Yes please, wild plums are lovely. But leave some for the birds too12 January at 14:11 ·
Ann-maree Davey Use some green ones so it sets better, as ripe fruit has little pectin.
12 January at 14:12