And here's the harvest we picked together with the kids, nice that some farmers choose to let people pick produce in the fields. Not for free obviously, but no pesticides and it's nice to know where it all comes from.
8kgs of plums got turned into jam.
21kgs of corn portion packed and frozen.
8kgs of plums got turned into jam.
21kgs of corn portion packed and frozen.
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If those are Jalapenos, you're doing well. Ours always scar as they turn red. I think that's normal as you can't even buy red ones here, only green.
Do you always shuck your corn ahead of time? We stopped that as we no longer boil it. We microwave, roast and grill, and enjoy the flavour imparted by the husk. It also helps with freezer burn for those 'forgotten' cobs in the back.
My daughter-in-law asked me to stop feeding her daughter (still in diapers) corn off the cob. Apparently it doesn't process "to completion". No corn fritters either.
Corn this year has been excellent, both on US East Coast and Midwest (North Coast).
Corn this year has been excellent, both on US East Coast and Midwest (North Coast).
Kaffiman please tell me how you preserve plums, and what you do with them. Those look great, and people grow a lot of plums around here, but I don't buy many because I don't really know what to do with them. I like plums but seldom eat them.
Interesting, I could see it mattering when drying chilis, but what do I know about chilis? (almost nothing)
Cal, yeah, I think they are jalapenos. Same heat and flavour.
Plums are EXCELLENT for making jam, plum jam tastes FANTASTIC!
Plums are NOT SUITABLE for making wine or liquor of any kind, it tastes horrible!
We normally get a "jam powder" at the grocery store for preservation.
Pit and heat up the plums, sugar to taste, add the powder and portion pack.
We do not buy any kind of jam, got our own.
The strawberries we just blend with sugar and portion pack in the freezer.
The blueberries we just blend with sugar and portion pack in the freezer.
Plums = jam
Cloudberries = jam
Raspberries = jam
Redcurrants = jelly (pick when red but not fully ripe if you want jelly because the seeds have a higher pectin content then, or you can make a great syrup for mixing with water if they are fully ripe)
Blackcurrants = Syrup, sometimes wine.
Some of the best wines you can make yourself is either cherry or blueberry.
Raspberries or cloudberries are fantastic for making liquor.
This is not any kind of "rule list", just a summary of what we've ended up feeling is the best result per effort and/or cost ratio.
Plums are EXCELLENT for making jam, plum jam tastes FANTASTIC!
Plums are NOT SUITABLE for making wine or liquor of any kind, it tastes horrible!
We normally get a "jam powder" at the grocery store for preservation.
Pit and heat up the plums, sugar to taste, add the powder and portion pack.
We do not buy any kind of jam, got our own.
The strawberries we just blend with sugar and portion pack in the freezer.
The blueberries we just blend with sugar and portion pack in the freezer.
Plums = jam
Cloudberries = jam
Raspberries = jam
Redcurrants = jelly (pick when red but not fully ripe if you want jelly because the seeds have a higher pectin content then, or you can make a great syrup for mixing with water if they are fully ripe)
Blackcurrants = Syrup, sometimes wine.
Some of the best wines you can make yourself is either cherry or blueberry.
Raspberries or cloudberries are fantastic for making liquor.
This is not any kind of "rule list", just a summary of what we've ended up feeling is the best result per effort and/or cost ratio.
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Surely anyone who has eaten corn knows about it. IMO best test for digestive transit time there is!
I have a cherry plum tree in the garden which has produced some bumper harvests. I used to have two victoria plums at another house and made copious quantities of plum Jam. My favourite though is Damson I used to forage from a damson tree near me until it was felled to build 6 flats 🙁
That's sad. Some people claim it's progress, I'm not so sure.
I think the value of gardens in the neighbourhood is more or less overlooked until they are gone.
IMO we need to go back to where and when fruit trees and berry bushes where commonly available to everyone.
Life is enrichened by our contact with nature, and having an active hand in the gathering and preservation of food is a nice experience to share with family or friends.
... And it's cheaper, as well as much higher quality.
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Enjoying some cloudberry jam.
I think the value of gardens in the neighbourhood is more or less overlooked until they are gone.
IMO we need to go back to where and when fruit trees and berry bushes where commonly available to everyone.
Life is enrichened by our contact with nature, and having an active hand in the gathering and preservation of food is a nice experience to share with family or friends.
... And it's cheaper, as well as much higher quality.
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Enjoying some cloudberry jam.
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Slivovitz is made from plums. An acquired taste, but folks also drink "marc de bourgogne" and "grappa".
Plum wine is extremely popular in Japan and numerous high-end gourmet bottlings are available. It's an indication of great respect to be served top notch Umeshu at a formal business dinner. wikipedia article
There are great differences in types of plum, same as any other fruits. I have yet to experience a plum that are commonly grown here in Norway that are good for making alcoholic beverages.
Would be happy to try again if anyone contacts me regarding specific types, locally available, that are suitable.
I have eaten some dried sour plums from Japan once, and it's quite possible that those would be good for this purpose, but they do not exist here.
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"No rule without exception" as they say.
Plenty of fruits that are actually good here, so I have resorted to "steering clear" of plum wine. Still have a box of fraction frozen plum wine, might be good for mixing with something.
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Mark, it seems to me that Umeshu is not actually fermented, that it's merely clear liquor being flavoured by unripe plums, can you please verify?
Would be happy to try again if anyone contacts me regarding specific types, locally available, that are suitable.
I have eaten some dried sour plums from Japan once, and it's quite possible that those would be good for this purpose, but they do not exist here.
Edit:
"No rule without exception" as they say.
Plenty of fruits that are actually good here, so I have resorted to "steering clear" of plum wine. Still have a box of fraction frozen plum wine, might be good for mixing with something.
Edit2:
Mark, it seems to me that Umeshu is not actually fermented, that it's merely clear liquor being flavoured by unripe plums, can you please verify?
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Years ago, there was a neighborhood friend who’d visit my Uncle. He worked for the city and frequently went into the sewers for inspections, etc, he said the worst thing about it wasn’t the biological hazard, but just the corn…
My dad used to live in a neighborhood that had once been a community of Italian farmers, and there were plenty of century old plum trees in the yards.
I would enjoy retrieving the good ones that had rolled out onto the road during walks, as the fruit went to waste it appeared.
Has anyone ever had spiced plums inside rice (onigri)?
My dad used to live in a neighborhood that had once been a community of Italian farmers, and there were plenty of century old plum trees in the yards.
I would enjoy retrieving the good ones that had rolled out onto the road during walks, as the fruit went to waste it appeared.
Has anyone ever had spiced plums inside rice (onigri)?
I was in an HP conference in Sweden. Dinner comes around and each table place had 6 shots of shnapps in a little holder 😀
Needless to say I have photos of our chief architect and HP sales guy propped up outside the venue.. IIRC they had regressed into an old 1970s/80s technology discussion.
I've had slivovitz quite a few times, always homemade and weapon grade. Good memories of friendship, awful memories of headaches the next day.
Otoh, I'd gladly take a good marc de Bourgogne over pretty much anything else.
Agree, it seems very popular as a home brew my cousin in Ome keeps a large jar aging for years in the cupboard.
Mark's comment confuses me, I have been to dozens of business diners and have never seen it. In fact there is usually this fascination of serving premium scotch watered down to 8-10%.
I worked for a Japanese lady who would take a jar of ume plums
fill the empty space with vodka and leave it for some time .... IIRC she called that Umeshu
fill the empty space with vodka and leave it for some time .... IIRC she called that Umeshu
I can understand why some people choose to drink it...
Slivovitz - Wikipedia
There's still a long list of things I would rather have before Plum "brandy" though.
I've heard about Umeshi, but I do not understand how you can call it a "wine" when it has not gone through a fermentation process.