I’ve got a new recipe in development featuring greengages, but while I perfect it (hopefully before the wasps get them), here’s a reminder of some of the other plum and autumn fruit recipes you could be cooking.
Greengage and Almond Jalousie: I’ve never actually met a plum I didn’t like – apart from some I once bought in the US that were so big I mistook them for nectarines and which were totally tasteless – but greengage are probably my favourite. Their flavour is incomparable and this easy but elegant little pie showcases them beautifully.
Plum and Ginger Chutney: based on my mum’s old green tomato recipe, this is probably the best chutney I’ve ever made and very versatile. It’s as good with a curry as it is in a cheese sarnie.
Autumn Fruit Compote: most cooks will have a version of this in their repertoire and this is mine. Try it as an easy dessert or just spoon it over yoghurt, muesli or porridge for a healthy but luxurious breakfast.
Bullace Gin: a one-size-fits-all recipe for a fruit gin. This one features wild plums, or bullaces, but you can substitute damsons or others plums, sloes, blackberries … whatever takes your fancy. Make it now and it’ll be ready for Christmas.
Nectarine Galette: it’s been a good summer here for peaches and nectarines, but you can just as easily use plums in this simple to make, rustic galette. Don’t omit the ground almonds, they help soak up the fruit juices to keep the pastry crisp.
Grilled Figs with Boozy Fruits: it’s all in the title. So good and for UK readers, Wooster’s Bakery, mentioned in the post, now sells its malt loaf by mail order.
Blackberry Vinegar: fabulous in salad dressings and sauces. And just look at that colour. There are lots of other autumn fruit recipes on the website – just put your fruit of choice in the search box and see what pops up. Happy cooking, see you soon.
I have a nearly-secret source of wild plums. Black, smallish, but full of flavour. I think these might be demanding to be made into chutney- especially as your plums in the photo look very similar.
Hi Margaret, quite possible. The ones in the pic are a black bullace. It’s grown by a fruit farming friend who kindly gave us an infant tree a while back, but bullaces green (or ‘white’) and black grow wild in many parts of the country. These made a fabulous chutney. Would love to know if you make it! Lx
I’ll have to go and see if there are any left. I seem to have accounted for all the first two lots I picked …
Oops. 🙂
What lovely lineup of mouthwatering goodies!!
As for wild fruits growing rampant: one doesn’t see them these days due to the wild wielding of herbicides to clear anything that dares to pop its shoots above ground. Mostly gone are the days of foraging for extra bounty!!
Thank you, Mary. I think we’re lucky where we live, there’s quite a lot to forage locally, although we also grow our own orchard fruits. Where are you based?
Your compote recipe is going to come in handy, since I have a bunch of plums that are way past their prime and I’ve been wondering how to “save” them… Thanks! And your mention of wasps reminded me of our peach tree back in Rome. The peaches off that tree were spectacular, the sweetest I’ve had in my life. But it was a constant struggle to eat them before the wasps did… Once they ripened you had to act fast or they’d be lost!
Goodness, how I’d love to be in Rome with a peach tree right now! I could even overlook the wasps. But yes – they are a menace. Live and let live and all that, but last year they monstered everything, especially (oddly enough) our crab apple tree. It looked like some weird wasp art installation, it was so smothered. There seem to be fewer this year, probably down to the weather we’ve been having. Glad you’ll find the compote recipe useful. All the best, Linda x