Wild plum ideas?

[IScreamForIceCream]

I've just today discovered a LOAD of wild plums* near me. Apart from jam, what can I make with them?

• I think they're plums. They are certainly from that family. They're definitely not sloes, and they are sweet enough to eat raw. Someone mentioned bullace, but is that just another name for wild plum? They're a deep purple colour, but golden inside. There's also mirabelle, but there are fewer of them, and the only ones left are on high branches.

Am very pleased with my 'discovery'.

We have a tree like this, the fruit is damson sized, but sweet rather than tart. I've been told that they were grown for dye, so predate synthetic purple, and I guess that makes sense as the ratio of dark purple skin to flesh is much greater than on a normal sized plum. We're in an old wool producing area so I like to think of our tree as part of the heritage.

This doesn't address what to do with them, I tend to make crumbles etc but there are rather a lot of stones, so you need plenty of time to de-stone. What about a plum jelly (preserve not wobbly)? Think I might try that in the next few days, and the beauty is that you won't have to remove the stones.

Fruit leather, delish.
The recipe was recently shown on bbc1, a programme about making sweets, it looked quite do-able!

Ooh, a soft set? Yum.
And fruit leather? I could make that for lunchboxes, and WIN the (imaginary) competition in only he 1st week of school!

Old wool area, hey? That's interesting, as the skins are so very purple. I can't wait to cook them up and see what happens. I'll do that tomorrow, after I have been back to get more. Am taking a big stick with me so as to reach more mirabelle. I actually want to spend the whole day playing in the kitchen with my plums. Ahem.

They sound like bullaces. We have a lovely glut this year. Buy a cherry stoner to get the stones out quickly. link here

plum sorbet
brown plum sauce
hoisin sauce
plum chutney
plum juice (mix with blackberries)
apple, pear and plum jam
muffins with plum and cheese (honest )
plum vodka or brandy (for Christmas)
or just freeze them whole in plastic bag to use later

I have these plums growing in my garden. I've just made jam this year, but previous years have made chutney, loads of crumbles, and have stewed batches of them and frozen for use later in the year. This year I made plum jam with ginger, lime and cardamom (great as a jam or as an accompaniment for meats) and a soft set plum jam with cinnamon and vanilla (I've been gorging on the latter as it's really great on fresh bread!)

JamNan -what is a bullace? Google not really helping, seemed to say that they were too sour to eat raw? But my lovely plums are delicious raw.

Thanks both for your ideas also - they sound great. My DC are being picked up in 10 mins for a sleepover, then I am going back to my plum patch, then out for supplies, then I will spend the rest of the day in kitchen heaven! For eg I don't have a jelly bag but I have a sudden NEED for one. And I need more sugar, and citrus, and jam jars (tho for the latter I will buy tesco value things and chuck the contents - jam jar for 22p, result! ). Might need bottles too.

I think I will make some trad things, as well as mixing it it up a bit recipe wise and flavour wise. The plum/ginger/lime/cardamom combo sounds lovely.

Oh what a lovely day I am going to have

Its a wild damson. wiki link here

We had an early spring and hot wet summer and fruit is early and exceptionally sweet this year. Some years our bullaces would make your mouth turn inside out because they were so sour but this year they are sweet and juicy. We even have some early sloes (Sussex coast).

I think I am going to make some piccalilli today.

Interesting, thanks JamNan - and I forgot to say earlier how perfect your name is for this thread. I am Def making ice cream later, so mine fits too!

I am STILL loving my bullaces, although next year I would be intrigued to see (taste) what they'd be like more sour, I think on balance I want another weather combo like we had this year so that they remain sweet and delicious.

I've never made piccalilli. I've never even tried it! Maybe now I need to, for I am suddenly obsessed by preserving.