There’s a reason why bloomy, juicy plums are synonymous with the best... They ARE the best! And it’s time to celebrate a great British classic that’s gone slightly out of fashion. Make the most of them with these sensational sweet and savoury recipes
RECIPES TOM SHINGLER PHOTOGRAPHS HANNAH HUGHES FOOD STYLING ALICE OSTAN STYLING MAX ROBINSON
KNOW YOUR PLUMS
This wonderful fruit usually sports mottled purple skin with blushed-yellow flesh, but there are dozens of varieties out there in gardens or sold in farm shops and grocers. Ranging in colour from green to yellow and in flavour from jammy to sour, each is suited to different dishes. Here are some interesting varieties to cook with.
MIRABELLE
These small, bright yellow (sometimes rosy pink) plums are from the French region of Lorraine and are revered across Europe for their sweetness. Particularly good for jams and cakes, they tend to be juicier than their purple counterparts, with an almost pineapple-like taste. While ‘true’ mirabelle plums are imported from France, many keen gardeners in the UK plant mirabelle plum trees in their garden to enjoy the glut every September.
USE… to create the ripple in our walnut ice cream recipe or in place of regular plums in our upside-down cake.
DAMSON
A fruit with an air of sophistication about it, the damson is known as (and looks like) a plum but is actually a separate fruit related to the rose family. Though damsons look inviting on the tree, they have a sour, tart flavour, so tend not to be eaten raw unless very ripe. But stewed for crumbles and puddings or cooked down with sugar into jams and preserves, damsons become deliciously sweet, with a more complex flavour than regular plums.
USE… in our speedy plum and vanilla preserve or in the ketchup with our duck confit. Damson gin is also a delight – just submerge a few fruit in gin with a little sugar and leave for a few months for a real treat come winter.
GREENGAGE
Looking a little like an apple but with a tartness similar to gooseberries, greengages are beautiful to look at but even better to eat. Like damsons, they benefit from a long, slow cook with a little sugar to become a jam or the base of a dessert, but if you happen to find a particularly ripe one, the tartness of a raw greengage can be pleasing. They have a fresher, almost grassy taste that works well with creamier textures and flavours – think an autumn version of rhubarb and custard.
USE… in our mozzarella and burnt leek salad – a pickled greengage offers a burst of acidity against the other flavours on the plate. Or preserve greengages umeboshi-style to
