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Just Plumy

Long convinced that plums existed only in the realm of sugared fairies dancing en pointe during Christmas ballet performances, it came as something of a revelation when I first tried this stone fruit in my twenties. Tasting nothing at all of holiday spice and cheer, that first bite was less than endearing, the fruit being somewhat unripe and tangy. Given a choice of fruits at market stalls and grocery shelves, I continued to select peaches and nectarines for succulence.

Oh, but how the circumstances of life make for personal change! A hungry mid-morning tummy and ripened Damson plums dangling over my farm work space, contrived to pump me full of the purple fruit this past autumn. As you might imagine, this was a much welcomed change in dietary preference. Given the late June frosts that nipped all of our orchard’s apple flower blossoms, the abundant fruit from the plum trees came as a bountiful surprise. And so it was a fall full of plum concoctions and very little cider cranking.

Crafting a couple of plum tarts and jars of plum chutney did little to use up the fruit, however. So having moved off the farm and in with my boyfriend, and having joined our refrigerator items, the gallon-sized bags of plums occupying half the freezer were identified as necessary inspiration for creative cooking, i.e. : “We need more space for meat!”

Then came the phone calls from family: “What do you want for the new place? For Christmas? Do you want us to send up the antique mirror and bed?” Such questions are utterly delightful to the furniture-less couple settling in together. But then they necessitate some form of reciprocity . . . being the new girlfriend, I am feeling exceptionally polite, but still financially incapable of sending delicious bottles of wine for the holiday. So, enter plums, stage right, in all their sugared, seasonal cheer.

This year we’ll be giving jars of deliciousness. Always a strong believer in keeping and giving as little ‘stuff’ as possible in life, food fits into my value system, and seems to please people immeasurably when it’s really good. You know all those cute jars of preserves, chutney, flavored honeys and compotes that stores like to sell as pricey treats?

Excess fruits and a Sunday afternoon combined forces for us to produce gift baskets of these canned tasty treats, perhaps all the more delightful on the tongue of the giftee than the store bought variety, given the personal association of cultivation and production.

We cooked using “The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving” by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard, and the recipes shared here are from this book. We’re further including jars of pesto in our gift baskets, but that’s a recipe that if I told you, I’d have to kill you.

*Please be advised to review canning technique before you attempt the process. Remember that if it seems like a hassle to can, make the items close to when you’ll give them, refrigerate, and tell your friends and family to keep them refrigerated and to eat them promptly.

Apple Plum Chutney

Great with rice and Indian food, slathered on leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches, or mixed into the yolk part of deviled eggs, really!

You’ll need:

5 cups chopped, peeled and cored apples

2 ½ cups chopped and peeled tomatoes

2 cups chopped and pitted plums

2 cups raisins

2 cups cider vinegar

2/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 ½ cups demerara or lightly packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder; ¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp pickling salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

 

Combine the apples, tomatoes, plums raisins, vinegar, onion and garlic in a very large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Add sugar, return to a boil and boil gently for another 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add curry powder, allspice, salt and cayenne; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle chutney into jars to within ½ inch of the rim (this provides headspace). Process 10 minutes for half-pint jars and 15 minutes for pine jars.

 

Apricot Honey Butter

Spread this on pancakes, fresh bread, and try slathering it on chicken before roasting.

You’ll need:

2 cups chopped dried apricots;

2 Tbs grated lemon ride;

2 cups water

½ cup lemon juice

¼ cup finely chopped candied or crystallized ginger

2/3 cup honey

 

Combine the apricots, lemon rind, water, lemon juice and ginger in a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring all to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and boil gently for 35 minutes or until the apricots are tender, stirring frequently.

Place the apricot mixture in a food processor or blender and process until smooth; then return it to the saucepan. Stir in the honey. Return to a boil, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, until the mixture is very thick, stirring frequently.

Ladle this into hot jars and process for 10 minutes.