Let's Talk BBQ

Tips, Tricks & Just Good Advice! => Good to Know! - A collection of How-To's & Sage Advice => Garden to Table - Growing Your Own! => Topic started by: smokendevo on September 20, 2014, 10:29:53 AM

Title: Picking Plums
Post by: smokendevo on September 20, 2014, 10:29:53 AM

Well after finding out I had found a couple of plum trees where I go and pick mushrooms I decided after coffee this morning I would go and get a basket of them. Turns out you have to be very careful of this type of plum tree as it has 2-3 inch very sharp thorns on the branch,s. I said OOCH a few times.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cYKhnuUOmd6Ngx66whgvDFzI43TFNMRyKXHgiWSptko=w640-h415-no)

But in the end it was all worth it. With in twenty minutes I fill my 3 litre basket and than some.
The ones that are soft are very sweet. Glad I found those trees.  :)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-g7uKUynxoLk/VB2MTgVwkmI/AAAAAAAALgY/xezV1aJ3CiI/w702-h465-no/DSC_0028.JPG)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5vYKxnMBoGo/VB2MTegFzhI/AAAAAAAALgg/1GOnbpv3U10/w363-h548-no/DSC_0029.JPG)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: muebe on September 20, 2014, 10:53:45 AM

Those are some nasty looking thorns!

Whatcha gonna do with all them plums?

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: smokendevo on September 20, 2014, 10:56:47 AM

Apple plum butter  ;)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: Las Vegan Cajun on September 20, 2014, 11:43:38 AM

Great looking basket of plums, looks like you're all set for winter.  ;)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: sliding_billy on September 20, 2014, 11:48:42 AM

That butter sounds delicious.

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: smokendevo on September 20, 2014, 01:20:09 PM

Quote from: sliding_billy on September 20, 2014, 11:48:42 AM

That butter sounds delicious.

Yes it is very good. Once I have some made I am going to dehydrate some to make those chewy candy things :)

Easy to make in the crock pot. Let them cook down for 15-18 hours than run through a food processer. Lots of recipes out there, just grab one and add what ever you like.
I use:
 brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom,1 tsp vanilla extract, cinnamon, apple juice, blue berries, red seedless grapes I had in the fridge, granny smith apples.

After removing all the seeds.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7yMoNH00T5g/VB2x5V-U3NI/AAAAAAAALiI/z-OhoeTLOl0/w702-h465-no/DSC_0030.JPG)

Add apple juice to the pot and boil down the flesh from the seeds.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YNnJ3i9Q5RE/VB2x5KJsQ2I/AAAAAAAALiE/rgrEmSXEUIs/w702-h465-no/DSC_0031.JPG)

I core my apples, some say don't.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aSfimLkPMM0/VB2x4vCa5uI/AAAAAAAALh4/SIhXgItvC4Y/w702-h465-no/DSC_0032.JPG)

Let cook for 18 hours and than into a food processor.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lQmgwzygxbA/VB2x9Sf59hI/AAAAAAAALiQ/OBmg7lMu6bk/w702-h465-no/DSC_0033.JPG)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: Las Vegan Cajun on September 20, 2014, 01:23:36 PM

That's looking good, can't wait to see it finished.  ;)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: smokendevo on September 20, 2014, 08:05:44 PM

This is about 6 hours into it. Smells wonderful.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I9crDmFrvAQ/VB4V58s7oPI/AAAAAAAALjo/HVq32hE9wqY/w702-h465-no/DSC_0036.JPG)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KgKsxUjQ_ls/VB4V50rWlQI/AAAAAAAALjk/9rPin-s0ei0/w702-h465-no/DSC_0037.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v6GYTSmmdk0/VB4V6C9HNSI/AAAAAAAALjs/yf_Ar8Nw6dE/w702-h465-no/DSC_0038.JPG)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: Las Vegan Cajun on September 20, 2014, 08:17:12 PM

Good looking progress so far.  ;)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: spuds on September 20, 2014, 11:29:14 PM

Lovin' it,great find on those trees!!!!

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: smokendevo on September 21, 2014, 11:34:57 AM

Busy morning. Got the pressure cooker out and sterilized my jars for the apple/plum butter. Which really is not real butter.

Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce produced by long, slow cooking of apples with cider or water to a point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown. The concentration of sugar gives apple butter a much longer shelf life as a preserve than apple sauce.

While waiting for the jars to get done I got busy with the food processor and paraded the butter. Once committing myself to it the fun was over. Its real hard not to make a bit of a mess.  ;D. And the clean up after was a chore for sure.

It worked out perfect for the number of jars I had. Ended up with 19 jars. I put them in the pressure cooker just till it hit 15 PSI. This will ensure a good seal on the jars.

Clean Up Time  >:(
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-v5aMX2zK2oI/VB7k4Dy4JcI/AAAAAAAALkM/bnha154r9Z0/w702-h465-no/DSC_0040.JPG)

In The Pressure Cooker
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hMwilCzRNtw/VB7tRWP4gOI/AAAAAAAALkk/IfPmzokeLrs/w363-h548-no/DSC_0041.JPG)

The end result
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/JdQyLIKUg147bJvPuvkAt53phaEDt8OG-h6tJ_PN5AU=w702-h450-no)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: muebe on September 21, 2014, 02:42:57 PM

I think I see my address label on one of them jars ;)

Title: Re: Picking Plums
Post by: spuds on September 24, 2014, 11:19:50 PM

Devo,you just nailed that cook,very very impressive from the tree to the jar!!

(http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/1spudster/applause_zps96355cbf.gif) (http://s1298.photobucket.com/user/1spudster/media/applause_zps96355cbf.gif.html)