Made my first jar of plum jam this year, using the plums from my tree at home. It's a bit thick / hard though, not sure what I did wrong yet - I made it in the microwave and didn't measure anything - might have overboiled it or used too much sugar or lemon juice - will be a bit more careful with the next batch.
I used about a pound of plums, stoned them, microwaved for about 5 minutes with a big splash of lemon juice. Added a large cup of sugar and stirred it in. Then microwaved for another 12 minutes. My microwave is quite powerful so it boiled for quite a long time.
My son isn't normally keen on jam, but he loves it - he said I could make a fortune if I make enough and sell it! Maybe the taste of the jam is enough to encourage him to pick plums for me?!
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Plum Tree Identification
There are several varieties of blue plums like Czar, but according to various websites, they're not due to fruit yet. Maybe the heatwave we had a few weeks back caused them to fruit early?
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| Czar type plum left, is that cherry plum on the right? |
There are several of these trees planted out in the street and neighbouring streets, so could have a massive haul of plums. First come first served!
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Allotment Update
Not much change since the last visit, but feeling more positive.
A couple of brassicas have survived the pigeons - I have loads more in pots and modules at home ready to be planted out, so will get some canes and netting and get them planted out on the allotment soon.
Pulled up the last of the autumn sown onions - really good size - need stringing up
Picked 3 courgettes - loads more growing - I have never cooked or used courgettes, but have had them in lasagne before, so will find a use for them soon.
First pumpkin growing - about the size of a large cooking apple.
No cucumbers yet, but 3 of the 4 ridge cucumber plants are still there.
Potatoes need digging up - all the foliage has died off - I did try digging but no hope, my knees wouldn't let me - will try and get my son up there for a few hours.
The celery I planted a few weeks back is still there - doesn't look like it's grown tho.
Might get lucky with a couple of sweetcorn. It's mostly gone to seed, but there are some tassles showing so there are a couple of cobs growing. Might also get lucky with a bit of beetroot - can just make out some purplish leaves among the weeds.
As I'm getting fitter, garden veggie patch is improving and I can get up to allotment more easily, so will catch up. Just so much work to do up there!
A couple of brassicas have survived the pigeons - I have loads more in pots and modules at home ready to be planted out, so will get some canes and netting and get them planted out on the allotment soon.
Pulled up the last of the autumn sown onions - really good size - need stringing up
Picked 3 courgettes - loads more growing - I have never cooked or used courgettes, but have had them in lasagne before, so will find a use for them soon.
First pumpkin growing - about the size of a large cooking apple.
No cucumbers yet, but 3 of the 4 ridge cucumber plants are still there.
Potatoes need digging up - all the foliage has died off - I did try digging but no hope, my knees wouldn't let me - will try and get my son up there for a few hours.
The celery I planted a few weeks back is still there - doesn't look like it's grown tho.
Might get lucky with a couple of sweetcorn. It's mostly gone to seed, but there are some tassles showing so there are a couple of cobs growing. Might also get lucky with a bit of beetroot - can just make out some purplish leaves among the weeds.
As I'm getting fitter, garden veggie patch is improving and I can get up to allotment more easily, so will catch up. Just so much work to do up there!
Monday, 20 July 2009
Feeling Fruity!
Doing quite well with fruit so far this year
The pear tree in my garden looks like it's dying now, only a handful of pears on it, all the leaves on one side have turned yellow and curled.
The small cooking apple tree at home isn't producing this year, nor are the apple and pear trees on the allotment. Next door neighbour says we can have the cooking apples off his tree this year - we'll peel, slice and freeze as much as we can, crumbles all year round!
The plum tree at home is doing ok - 15 plums today - maybe enough for a small plum crumble for me and my girlfriend. Normally get them too late cos they ripen very quickly then get attacked by wasps. Must remember to prune it this winter. Have 2 plum trees on the allotment - didn't see plums last time I was there, but will check again tomorrow. Have found a couple of plum trees down our street - planted by the council in the grass verges - more freebies!
Loganberries doing ok - only had a dozen or so each week from the canes that grew last year, but loads of new canes have grown so should get loads next year.
Raspberries on allotment are poor, but home canes are growing like mad. It's almost all new growth this year, so will fruit next year. The dogs chewed through most of the canes that grew last year, but had a few good sized raspberries from the 3 canes that survived.
Rhubarb is doing really well - got 1 crown doing well in the ground, another 5 in buckets (4 from Su), and all growing well - will plant the crowns out properly over the winter.
Neighbour on allotment gave us some grape vines earlier this year - I planted them around Feb/March - they're growing well, not going to get fruit just yet tho.
Strawberries - all the plants seemed to dry up in the recent heatwave, no new strawberries.
Inability to keep weeds under control means parts of the garden are overrun with blackberry brambles. Will pick the blackberries before cutting the whole lot back and trying to kill it all off. Or might keep a couple of canes somewhere they won't get in the way!
Blueberry plants given to me a couple of months back have all died - they were left indoors too long, waiting for a friend to collect, which she changed her mind about, and they just didn't recover. Might get some more another time.
And also got a redcurrant bush, blackcurrant bush and 2 gooseberry bushes on the allotment, plus 3 gooseberry bushes at home, all finished fruiting recently, all picked and frozen.
And elderberries growing like mad at the bottom of the garden - hopefully will get enough to make some wine or something!
The pear tree in my garden looks like it's dying now, only a handful of pears on it, all the leaves on one side have turned yellow and curled.
The small cooking apple tree at home isn't producing this year, nor are the apple and pear trees on the allotment. Next door neighbour says we can have the cooking apples off his tree this year - we'll peel, slice and freeze as much as we can, crumbles all year round!
The plum tree at home is doing ok - 15 plums today - maybe enough for a small plum crumble for me and my girlfriend. Normally get them too late cos they ripen very quickly then get attacked by wasps. Must remember to prune it this winter. Have 2 plum trees on the allotment - didn't see plums last time I was there, but will check again tomorrow. Have found a couple of plum trees down our street - planted by the council in the grass verges - more freebies!
Loganberries doing ok - only had a dozen or so each week from the canes that grew last year, but loads of new canes have grown so should get loads next year.
Raspberries on allotment are poor, but home canes are growing like mad. It's almost all new growth this year, so will fruit next year. The dogs chewed through most of the canes that grew last year, but had a few good sized raspberries from the 3 canes that survived.
Rhubarb is doing really well - got 1 crown doing well in the ground, another 5 in buckets (4 from Su), and all growing well - will plant the crowns out properly over the winter.
Neighbour on allotment gave us some grape vines earlier this year - I planted them around Feb/March - they're growing well, not going to get fruit just yet tho.
Strawberries - all the plants seemed to dry up in the recent heatwave, no new strawberries.
Inability to keep weeds under control means parts of the garden are overrun with blackberry brambles. Will pick the blackberries before cutting the whole lot back and trying to kill it all off. Or might keep a couple of canes somewhere they won't get in the way!
Blueberry plants given to me a couple of months back have all died - they were left indoors too long, waiting for a friend to collect, which she changed her mind about, and they just didn't recover. Might get some more another time.
And also got a redcurrant bush, blackcurrant bush and 2 gooseberry bushes on the allotment, plus 3 gooseberry bushes at home, all finished fruiting recently, all picked and frozen.
And elderberries growing like mad at the bottom of the garden - hopefully will get enough to make some wine or something!
Friday, 17 July 2009
Size Matters!
I've got a big thick 9 incher! Cucumber that is .....
Found a large cucumber hiding away in the greenhouse under a large leaf. Several smaller ones growing too.
Tomatoes are doing well. The ones in the greenhouse are much bigger and better than the outside ones. Have pinched them all out as much as I can, loads of flowers, lots of small baby size green tomatoes, nothing turning red yet.
Peppers also doing well, again, better in the greenhouse than outside. Flower buds forming, no flowers or peppers just yet though.
The drip feeding system is great, saves me a lot of time.
Still have various other plants in the greenhouse. Will get aubergines / butternut squash and others potted on or planted out soon.
Found a large cucumber hiding away in the greenhouse under a large leaf. Several smaller ones growing too.
Tomatoes are doing well. The ones in the greenhouse are much bigger and better than the outside ones. Have pinched them all out as much as I can, loads of flowers, lots of small baby size green tomatoes, nothing turning red yet.
Peppers also doing well, again, better in the greenhouse than outside. Flower buds forming, no flowers or peppers just yet though.The drip feeding system is great, saves me a lot of time.
Still have various other plants in the greenhouse. Will get aubergines / butternut squash and others potted on or planted out soon.
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