The Lincolnshire Scad Plum may soon be available for sale!
This very late, small, wild plum has almost disappeared. But Paul Davy has sent me the news that young specimens grown from a Lincolnshire site may become available from Autumn 2012. Stock will inevitably be limited for several seasons.
Please click this link to enquire in Autumn 2011 for an update on the Lincolnshire Scad Plum.
Jean has asked if Victoria plums will ripen off the tree. She wants to pick them before the wasps ruin the crop.
TopVeg has replied:
Victoria plums will ripen a little off the tree – if kept at room temperature. Ripe bananas in amongst them will help speed the process.
Nothing can beat a plum ripened on the tree – but wasps seem to get the plums just before they are ripe enough – so they always beat me to it.
Better to pick the plums and save them.
Have you tried enviromesh? It depends on the size of your tree – but if you can totally enclose the tree, or part of it, in enviromesh the wasps will be kept off.
Reducing the wasps will also help. Try to track down the nest by following the wasps home. They often nest quite close to plum trees. Once the nest is discovered, it can be eliminated. Jam jar traps full of sweet liquid can be covered with paper. Then a hole in the paper will let the wasps in, but not out. There are various commercial versions of this. Lakeland have one at http://www.lakeland.co.uk/2851/Wasp-Catcher?src=gpgar.
Plums are one of the first fruit trees to flower, bringing a welcome sign of spring, but watch out for the frost. The branches can be covered with light net curtains, or similar material, when frost is forecast.
victoria-blossom
The plum blossom is borne on bare branches before the leaves appear. They are particularly vulnerable to frosts :
vic-plum-blossom
The frozen flower buds are badly damaged if the sun warms them up too quickly. So it is important to plant the plum trees:
victoria-plum-flower
If the blossom is frost damaged, no plums will develop. Hopefully, we have not had any frost this year while the Victoria plum has been in flower, so we look forward to a good harvest!
The Lincolnshire Scad is an old, but rare, variety of plum.
Lincolnshire Scad Plums are:
A Lincolnshire Scad plum tree:
Lincolnshire Scad Plums are traditionally mixed with apples in a Scad & Apple Pie. Does anyone have a photo of Lincolnshire Scad Plums?
The variety of plum called Marjorie’s Seedling (Latin name – Prunus domestica ) is self fertile.
Marjorie's-Seedling-plum
Large oval blue-black plums
Juicy yellow flesh
Heavy cropping, vigorous tree
Marjorie’s Seedling is used for cooking but also a great desert plum.
Kevin has commented that he has not got enough plums to make preserves so ‘we will make traditional apple and plum ‘butter’.
The end result is a stiff, sliceable preserve. Keeps years! ideal for sponge cakes as it is fairly ’solid’, does not run.’
Thanks Kevin – that sounds good so here is a recipe for apple & plum butter:
Ingredients:
3 lb Apples
1 lb Plums
¾ lb sugar to each pint of pulp
cinnamon can be added when cooking the fruit
Cook peeled, cored & chopped apples in a little water until soft.
Add stoned plums to the apples, cook until soft.
Push the pulped mixture through a nylon sieve.
Add ¾ lb sugar for every pint of pulp.
Bring the pulp & sugar mixture to the boil.
When setting occurs and pour into heated jars or pots immediately.
Cover the pots.
Serve apple and plum butter on:
Victoria-plum-tree
The Victoria plums in the garden are ripe. They are ready for picking when
they are slightly soft. When plums are ripe they start to fall off the
tree, so it is important to pick them before they all drop off.
If you have plums to spare this recipe of slow roasted pork with plums
from Joanna’s food, is excellent.
Powered by WordPress
