the great plum preserving marathon

It's only small, but the plum tree on our allotment has produced a gargantuan harvest this year.
I have lost count of the number of bowls, bags and basketfuls we have picked.


There have been plums in the fruit bowl, fridge and freezer.


Plums given away to family and friends.
 And plums thrust into the hands of unsuspecting allotment neighbours.
But still there are more!
And so began the Great Plum Preserving Marathon!


First up was jam from a tried and tested Delia recipe.



Then followed chutney.
 A Nigel Slater recipe which I made a couple of years ago but this time I doubled up the quantities.


And finally spiced plums in brandy from a favourite book  Perfect Preserves : Maggie Mayhew.
The recipe is straightforward though a tad expensive since it uses copious amounts of brandy.
I'm hoping they keep well and will be good at .. ahem .. Christmas!


I've already had a sip of some of the leftover spice infused brandy and it was very delicious :)


Happy weekend everyone.
I'm off out soon to watch an outdoor short play written by a friend and then to babysit this evening. It is lovely daughter and her husband's 5th wedding anniversary today.




annjenny x

Comments

  1. Impressive preserves. I love the sound of the chutney, a recipe I have never tried before.

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  2. VERY envious of your plum bounty. All three (yes, three) of my allotment plums disappeared without trace. I only have a small tree as well. It's grown very well this year, so I'm hopeful that next year will be the year. Plum jam is one of my favourites, delicious. How wonderful to have a friend who writes plays, I hope you have a lovely time. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. CJ xx

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    Replies
    1. Plum trees do seem to have a 'down' year so hopefully yours will produce a better harvest next year. The play was very interesting. It was one of 6 short plays written by local people highlighting the effects of global warming. x

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  3. Hello, may I make a another suggestion on a very yummy way to using plums, plume crumble! I make big & small once and freeze them. Perfect to have warm or cold with clotted cream.
    Anna xx

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    Replies
    1. Hello Anna. Plum crumble ...and with clotted cream. Yum! You are so right - delicious. I think I have just about enough room in the freezer for one!

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  4. I normally have to wait for plum gluts at the local markets, so very envious of your bounty.

    Now then, any ideas for a glut of yellow parry pan squashes? And why didn't he cut them while I was away? Grr...

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  5. Love the sound of the chutney, although all your preserves look very tempting!

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