This year has been a bumper one for plums, and the tree in the back garden has produced more than we can cope with. Plum jam is a real treat and a very easy recipe to make, as it usually sets very well.
Use slightly under ripe plums for making jam, as they have higher pectin levels, save the ripe ones for eating.

Removing the stones from plum (or damson) jam can be a pain if left until the end of the jam making process when it tends to cause a hot sticky mess everywhere. When making this batch of jam I roasted the plums before hand and squeezed out the stones, a process explained in more detail in this blog post.

Pickling fruit like plums is a good way to preserve them into the winter months, when they can then be used to add fruitiness to meals such as roasts.

These pickled plums should not be confused with the Japanese Umeboshi, which are not actually plums but the ume fruit which is more closely related to the apricot.

Plums and damsons are in abundance at this time of year and are great made into chutney or jam. One big problem is how to remove the stones, in the past I've always waited until they float to the top of the preserving pan and then scooped them out with a slotted spoon. This is frustrating as it's difficult to separate out the stones, and quite risky as the jam or chutney is often hot and sticky.
This tip is a simple way to remove the stones before starting the preserving, and although still messy is a lot safer.

Pick over and wash the fruit, then spread them out on a baking tray.

With the late summer fruits starting to ripen on the trees (and fall off in the wind), this recipe is great for using up a glut of apples and plums. I actually used the last of last years frozen stewed plums from the freezer, and some windfall apples. The relative quantities of plums and apples can be easily altered within reason.

  Click here for the Plum and Apple Chutney recipe in more detail.

image source wikimedia commons

1. A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus, most fruit sold as plums is of the subgenus Prunus Domestica.

Having a small boy in the house we regularly resort to rewarding good behaviour  to get through trips to the supermarket, car journeys etc. (bribery). We've managed to train him to be pleased with an apple at the end of the supermarket shop (it has to be of the bright red variety), but when shopping in the town centre he's caught on to the fruit snacks sold in the local health food shop.

These are also a favourite on long car journeys, although feeding a small child with an energy giving fruit bar when you want them to sit still is probably a mistake. I'm all for supporting the local shop, but at 57p a time I'd rather find an alternative.
So I was very happy to find a recipe for fruit leather in the wonderful River Cottage Handbook No.2: Preserves by Pam Corbin.