Plums and Damsons.

You can tell I'm on new blogger for this post, 1 photo centered and then the next won't centre, but at least it's easier to either justify or centre the writing than a few weeks ago.

Plums are ripening BUT the plum-moth trap didn't work - so another year of not biting before cutting open and if it isn't maggots from the moth then it's damage by the wasps. Such a good crop too. All of the above had maggots and their dropping inside - ugh - all looking much worse than the one I'd cut open first

There are even more Damsons than plums - but they are too sharp to eat straight off the tree. I've put two bags full in the freezer. One lot are for Damson Gin for the Christmas Hampers and the other lot for Damson jelly. It's impossible to get the stones out of them so I thought jelly would be easier to make. I ran a sharp knife round the damsons to slit the skins before freezing them so when cooked they should break down more easily.

Many bits of the country, including here in Suffolk are forecast to have a VERY hot day. I think I'll be keeping cool indoors. Must be getting old as I used to love sitting out in the sun!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

A Few Plums Are Better Than No Plums

Our plum tree with delicious eating plums is just a small tree and plums are notorious for being good one year and not the next. As we weren't here last year I have no idea if they were plentiful or not.
But this year this is more or less all we have

Just a cereal bowlful the other day, then these 11 and a few more from the shady side of the tree still to come.

Hope next year is a better plum year.

Thank you one and all for comments yesterday. The fence is now finished and looking good. Pictures will follow when I get plants for the pots

Back Tomorrow
Sue

Purple Plums,Yellow Jam and Orange Marmalade

As well as the cherry plum tree we found growing in the hedge boundary at the bottom of the garden we also have a couple of old smallish damson type plum trees on the other boundary. One had several fruit on it, and some had already been eaten by birds, so a week ago while I held the ladder  Col climbed up and picked all the fruit he could reach.

It was just a couple of lb and made 2 jars of lovely coloured jam, which set well, rather TOO well. There was a little bit that wouldn't fit in the jars and Col had it in a sandwich - he said it was rather solid - whoops!
Better than too runny I guess.

A couple of weeks ago I made two batches of Marrow and Ginger Jam using two courgettes that had turned into marrows overnight! This used up over half a jar of crystallized stem  ginger  in syrup that had travelled from the smallholding to Ipswich and from Ipswich to here. Marrow and ginger jam is the other extreme and doesn't set well so needs using up quickly.

Yesterday I used the last of the jar of stem ginger to make Orange and Ginger Marmalade - using a tin of the ready prepared oranges. It's delicious and has completely changed the canned Mamade into something much more interesting and something else for our sisters hampers.

Thanks for all the comments.For the moment  I've set comments so that I see them first before publishing as there were multiple silly junk ones popping up everyday.

Back Shortly
Sue