September Harvest: Three Ways to Use (Damson) Plums

 

"Natura statică cu fructe"
Painting by Constantin Daniel Stahi (1915)
Found on Wikimedia Commons

It is nearing the end of the damson plum season in the allotment gardens, although many species of apples and pears and grapes are flourishing.

My mother used to battle tubs full of plums to be eaten raw (a few of these we brought along on visits to her father-in-law) and cooked into plum compôte, from fruit trees in our old garden in Canada.

Leftover plums always fell to the ground, where they were eaten away in dark dots and tunnels by wasps. Mowing the lawn was a little riskier, and the plum pits would ping against the machine.

Baking a plum sheet cake — yeast dough topped with rows of dark plum slices, flavoured with their faint bitter edge — is a family favourite in years when we get around to it.

Still Life with Plums (1666)
by Pierre Dupuis
Found on Wikimedia Commons

ONE YEAR in Germany I also made Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe for plum sorbet, published on the website of the Guardian. It is worthwhile making, although roasting the plums and freezing will of course use more energy. I made it without an ice cream machine, but whizzed it up in the food processor after freezing to make the texture easier to eat.

2kg plums, halved and stoned

2 vanilla pods

100g caster sugar, or more depending on the sweetness of the plums

The plums are roasted with the vanilla pods, sugar and water, and the rest of the instructions are here.

Source: "Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's plum recipes" [Guardian]
August 7, 2010