A glut of plums

We've had pitiful output from our plum tree the past three years, and this year it appears the tree has decided to make it up to us by presenting us with what can only be described as a bumper crop. Our tree is currently so laden with fruit that the gardener had to shore up one of the overburdened branches to keep it from dragging on the ground. When our apricot tree was still among the living, the local squirrels feasted on its bounty and wouldn't give the plum tree the time of day... but this year, with no apricots yet hundreds upon hundreds of ripening plums at their pawtips, the squirrels have decided that hey, plums aren't so bad after all. I'm watching a little varmint nibble on one right now.

I myself am not fond of the plum. I don't hate 'em; they're just one of a fairly large group of foods (including eggplant, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, banana bread, stuffed grape leaves, etc.) that I will eat but prefer not to. A few years ago, before the plum drought and having forgotten my distaste for this fruit, I picked a bunch of ripe ones from the tree and made a beautiful plum cobbler. It had a rich, butter-laden streusel topping and the barest hints of cinnamon and nutmeg to enhance the plummy flavor. It filled the whole house with its sweet aroma. As soon as it came out of the oven, I scooped myself up a small bowlful and doused it with half-and-half, and I took a bite. And I thought, "You know, I really don't like plums."

But I love plum jam. It was probably the same summer I made the cobbler that I also made over 50 jars of plum jam. Our plums are the Santa Rosa variety, and they sport a deep garnet flesh that makes for a very attractive and tasty jam. I don't bother removing the peel because it softens nicely during cooking and adds a little texture. If you're interested in making jam, I recommend Linda Amendt's book Blue Ribbon Preserves, which is full of superb, award-winning recipes, and I completely endorse her recipe for Santa Rosa plum jam. If you just want to read some stories about people making jam without doing it yourself, I suggest Blue Jelly: Love Lost and the Lessons of Canning by Debby Bull and/or Well Preserved: A Jam-Making Hymnal by Joan Hassol (both out of print but worth looking for).

Next weekend I'll be helping Sean and Curtis with the 48-Hour Film Project on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday afternoon just might be the day to break out the canning equipment and put up some preserves. So, Lucy, if you were serious about wanting to learn how to make jam, you know where to reach me...