The Japanese blood plums (Satsuma I think)
have had an amazing crop this year. This photo was taken after I had picked at least a couple of
buckets. The blackbirds have developed a bit of a taste for them despite the
CDs hanging in the branches to frighten them off. Last weekend I made a very
attractive scarecrow to put near the tree and each day I have been putting a
transistor radio tuned to a very annoying station under the tree as well to try
to deter them.
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| A very scary scarecrow |
At least I have been able to give the plums an extra week to
ripen. But when I heard some parrots in the garden on Saturday, I decided to
pick the bulk of the crop. So it has been plums, plums and more plums this
weekend. I have bottled, made jam, made
plum sauce, and for the first time, a Blood Plum cordial.
This is a photo of the resulting cordial
mixed with some soda water.
Very refreshing on a warm evening. It is made from
plums stewed with a little orange juice and lemon juice and then strained
through muslin. The liquid is then mixed with an equal amount of sugar and
simmered for a few minutes. The pulp came in useful to make some plum leather.
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| Plum leather |
The zucchinis are starting to go crazy as
well so I have started making my favourite zucchini pickle recipe. As well as
onion and zucchini salted overnight, you also salt some lemon rind and add them
to the mix......gives the pickle a lovely lemony edge.
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| No not more plums but my zucchini pickle |
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