Plum Dreams Coming True

Finally, five years of nurturing fruit trees and keeping them alive through heat waves, this year we get plums, lots of plums. They don't keep long, so I made jam! By choice, these babies have not had any chemicals sprayed, so they are not perfect and that's fine with me! Just like Joni Mitchel said in her song.... "give me spots on my apples, but give me the birds and the bees". These are Bruce plums, really tart.

Plum Jam Recipe:

6 cups chopped pitted plums
6 cups sugar
1 box sure jell

Wash pint size mason jars and lids in dishwasher sterlize (heat) mode.

Measure 6 cups chopped and pitted plums into 6-8 quart pan (heavy bottom stainless - non aluminum). Add 6 cups sugar and box of sure jell. Bring to rolling boil over high heat, stirring continually. Boil 1 minute, simmer for 5 minutes while continuing to stir. Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Fill sterilized pint size mason jars to 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe rims, cover tightly. Boil jars 5 minutes in large pan (tops covered with the boiling water). Remove and cool -- the tops will pop in after a few mintues.

Backyard Fruit Trees

'Gala' apple tree.
'Methley' plum tree.
Nectarine 'Sweet Pearl'
'Bruce' Plum tree.

They actually have fruit this year! The last two years we have had a late freeze after the blossoms, but this year -- no late freeze. Hopefully they will make it all the way through the elements this year.

Plum Blossom - First Signs of Spring

This is one of two plum trees in our backyard. I hope we do not have a late freeze this year -- last year it froze the blossoms and no fruit that year.