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First timer jam

Siikibam

Siikibam

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There is a plum tree in the garden and after a suggestion from my sister, I made plum jam yesterday. I used less sugar than the same weight in plums but it’s nice. Next time I won’t cook it as long as it’s a little too set. I’m going to actually try it now for my (late) breakfast.
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I make strawberry jam every year, the allotment produces so many strawberries we can’t eat so jam’s great especially for the winter months, I freeze some and make more in winter. I also make tomato chutney from this lot, again we are overrun with tomatoes 😆
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Bill & Ted said:
I make strawberry jam every year, the allotment produces so many strawberries we can’t eat so jam’s great especially for the winter months, I freeze some and make more in winter. I also make tomato chutney from this lot, again we are overrun with tomatoes 😆
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I’ve neglected my tomatoes but saw two on the plant yesterday! 🤣
Do you freeze the strawberries or the jam?

Its so nice I’m having another two slices 😋
 
Bill & Ted said:
I make strawberry jam every year, the allotment produces so many strawberries we can’t eat so jam’s great especially for the winter months, I freeze some and make more in winter. I also make tomato chutney from this lot, again we are overrun with tomatoes 😆
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Wow that's a lot of tomatoes! My tomatoes are getting bigger and bigger but are still green. They're so heavy I had to tie the plant to a pole because it flopped over with the weight :yikes: There's more little ones appearing in different places as well
 

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I over cooked one of my batches of blackberry and apple jam and missed the setting point. I've got 5 jars of runny goo but it's alright, I'll use it up in the winter on my porridge. Had some yesterday on toast and ended up in a very sticky mess.
We are very overrun with tomatoes to. I've made 5lbs of green tomato chutney already, and a batch of marrow chutney, the freezer is full of beans and other veg from the garden so I'm, starting to look for other chutney recipes. Found an interesting one for courgette and green tomato I might try later in the week, there's a courgette I missed on one of the plants that's already the size of a marrow.
 
My plum tree had one measly plum on it this year! :( Last year before my MIL moved out and we moved in there were so many she didn't know what to do with them all!
 
That was like my apple trees last year, poor migrating Fieldfares that come to the garden every year to eat them had nothing to munch and went after a day! :( But loads this year, hopefully the same for your plums next year @Betsy :) (that sounds odd:)))
 
Betsy said:
My plum tree had one measly plum on it this year! :( Last year before my MIL moved out and we moved in there were so many she didn't know what to do with them all!
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Same here last year. Nothing! Year before wasn’t bad. Our first year living here they were plentiful! I even gave some away to family and there were still more on the tree. There are quite a lot this year but they’re not as big as I remember from last time. But the ripened ones are still yum...when they’ve not been invaded by caterpillars etc 🤢
 
alpacasqueak said:
Extra protein with 1 of your 5 a day! :)) :drool:
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No thanks! I don’t want that kind of protein! And being a fan of beans, imagine being made to eat the ones with weevils in! Protein but you’d do it if you loved beans 🤢
 
Siikibam said:
No thanks! I don’t want that kind of protein! And being a fan of beans, imagine being made to eat the ones with weevils in! Protein but you’d do it if you loved beans 🤢
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But you never know unless you try it! :D:))
I picked a load of grass for the pigs one day and dried a bit out in the oven with branches for Pedro, pulled it out and realised I’d cooked two caterpillars! :doh::( Did joke about sneaking them in a meal to someone but def felt a bit guilty! Didn’t look too appetising though tbh so don’t blame you! :))
 
Siikibam said:
Same here last year. Nothing! Year before wasn’t bad. Our first year living here they were plentiful! I even gave some away to family and there were still more on the tree. There are quite a lot this year but they’re not as big as I remember from last time. But the ripened ones are still yum...when they’ve not been invaded by caterpillars etc 🤢
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I looked up in my fruit growing book, and found that fruit trees, plums certainly and apples too I think, can switch to biennal bearing if they crop too heavily one year. So much energy goes in producing the good year's fruit that there isn't enough energy to produce as many buds for the next year. It is prevented by thinning the fruits out once the baby fruits are growing well. I didn't do that this spring so I'm afraid that next year I'm not going to have many plums and apples. But I'll just have to wait and see.
The gage trees in my garden seem to be ripe now, so I need to get on with picking them, then it will be the Victoria plums' turn in a couple of weeks - it's all go in our new garden!
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
I looked up in my fruit growing book, and found that fruit trees, plums certainly and apples too I think, can switch to biennal bearing if they crop too heavily one year. So much energy goes in producing the good year's fruit that there isn't enough energy to produce as many buds for the next year. It is prevented by thinning the fruits out once the baby fruits are growing well. I didn't do that this spring so I'm afraid that next year I'm not going to have many plums and apples. But I'll just have to wait and see.
The gage trees in my garden seem to be ripe now, so I need to get on with picking them, then it will be the Victoria plums' turn in a couple of weeks - it's all go in our new garden!
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That makes sense. But what on earth does thinning the fruits mean? Picking some off?

Actually our neighbour has a cooking apple tree. What could you make with them apart from desserts? May ask to pick a few...
 
alpacasqueak said:
I suppose I could always grind it down and make into a special herbal/natural tea :hmm::D
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...I don’t drink tea....🤷🏾‍♀️ I ‘learnt’ to drink it as an adult (after marrying) but went off it when pregnant with my second...
 
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