Plum jam

I've just made plum jam! I used half of my first batch of plums (1kg) just in case it didn't work, but all seems fine. It set nicely and has formed a seal on the recycled glass jars (the poppers on the top are all depressed). The jam is a beautiful plum-red colour (even though the flesh was green) and best of all the bit I put on a plate to test tasted very yummy.

The recipe was simple: 900g plums (before being stoned), 300ml water, 850kg sugar. Cooking in a wide pan until it reaches 220 degrees F or for about 20 mins on a rolling boil. Test a sample on a cold plate, if it wrinkles when you push it then it will set. Pour into hot sterilised jars.

I'm going to have a go at a plum chutney tomorrow and a plum cake on Sunday. the challenge of course is what to do with the next kilo I pick!

Plums, tomatoes, beetroot and bindweed.

Just back from my hols (Iceland - fantastic place) to find a bumper crop of plums, tomatoes and beetroot, not to mention cauliflowers, courgettes, potatoes....

I'm really pleased with my plum tree - it's about 3-4 years old and last year gave me 4 delicious czar plums. This year, well, the photo hopefully shows that my toddler tree has produced so far a whopping 1.5kg of ripe plums with more on the way.

I also have a dozen beetroot, a bowl of cherry toms as well as golden sunrise yellow toms, some marmande as well as others that I can't remember the name of.

I was delighted with the cauliflowers - I've grown them under enviromesh (a fine mesh-net thing) after a couple of years of inedible catepilliary cauliflowers I've finally won - this year have had 4 cauliflowers so far with no wiggley things inside.

I think I've done well in just under 3 weeks. Many thanks go to my allotment neighbour Shirley and my brother Jamie for watering my greenhouse whilst I was away.

Unfortunately I've come back to a plot that is not only full of produce but overrun with bindweed. I've pulled up a sack of it already and there is still more to go.

Now to find plum and beetroot recipes.