Plum Brandy

I'm just using the last of the plums. I hate to admit that they are almost at an end .. so to capture that last delicious sweetness for the coming winter I make plum brandy.  There are lots of recipes you can make with this lovely liquor in my book Prepped including Brandy Butter and mince pies in fused in Plum brandy.

The deep sweet plumminess of them infuses into the brandy, leaving sweetened liquor swirling with a dark pink plumy hue of Autumn in a glass.  . and yes I’m planning Christmas.  This plum brandy is so versatile. It makes a unique gift and is the base for a superb cocktail and I use it in my mincemeat (I  always enjoy a  tipple whilst I’m stirring the pan! )
1kg of Plums
750g of sugar
1litre of Brandy
Wash and dry the plums. Pop them into a 2 liter Kilner type jar, with a lid that seals.  Pour in the Brandy and then add the sugar.  Gently shake the jar  and pop it somewhere visible.  For the next week or so shake the jar each day until the sugar is dissolved, then pop it away in a cupboard for at least 2 months.  I generally decant mine after 6 – 8 months, however if you leave it longer the plums can sometimes breakdown any you get bits floating in the brandy. Simply use a clean piece of muslin to filter these out – they are not harmful  - just not pretty!

Plum Mint and Couscous salad

If there is a time I feel one ought be outside enjoying the last of the summer it’s when the plums come out.  It’s not that I don’ want to cook  - I just don’t want to be inside on the last autumn days.  I resent missing the last rays of summer and I love planting up the garden with next years Tulips and Hydrangea's at this time of year! So this semi hot salad can be made in minutes, uses plums in a savory way and means we can eat a super lunch and get straight back out in the garden.  There is also very little washing up! If you want to give it a bit more substance a good crumbly feta or strips of Parmesan go well with it too.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Serves 4
Freezes no
750g of cooked couscous
6 ripe plums 30g butter
1 lemon
6 tbsp Olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
Black pepper
Vanilla vinegar
Toasted pine nuts
Fresh mint leaves to dress.
1 Slice the plums into quarters, brush with a little olive oil, sprinkle with some sea salt and black pepper and roast I a hot oven for about 10 minutes.  They still need to retain some bite.
2 In the men time prepare about 750 of couscous (cooked weight) according to the instructions on the packet.  AS you add the hot water stir in the butter with a fork to fluff .
3 Mix together the Vanilla Vinegar, juice of a lemon, olive oil and tsp of Dijon mustard.  Mix well and fluff through couscous.
4 Add the baked plums, scatter with toasted Pine nuts and serve dressed with mint leaves. 

Discovering a Local Plum Orchard

Each of the chapters in Prepped follows a flavour. Researching into the flavour is part of the background, and the fun, of writing this book. These next few weeks I shall be working on plums. Their round shiny, smooth skin giving way to sweet succulent orange flesh, they are summer lusciousness itself. Of course I know that there are Victoria plums, but aside from that I’ve never given much thought to which varieties make the best cooking .. so to find out more I thought I’d find a local orchard. After 2 hours of searching on the internet, and several phone calls to find a plum orchard anywhere .. at all ... in Northamptonshire I gave up. Instead I called Mansfield Farm in Kent. They grow about 8 varieties of plum and supply Waitrose. Craig, the manager was more than helpful and despite a protest from my husband, we were due to drive to Kent this weekend, to meet Craig and find out more about plums. Luckily for Alastair, I was complaining about lack of local fruit to Mrs Smith in our nearby farm shop, when she smiled and said that I needed to go and see Andy at New Creation Farm – just 5 miles away. I was, of course, a little disappointed not to be meeting with Craig, he sounded so interesting. However, I was seriously delighted to discover a local orchard. Andy kindly agreed to give me a special tour of the orchards and rather than just take photos I decided to try and share some of the visit with you. Forgive the home video approach, I am new to this side of things, but I hope you will enjoy the footage despite this. Thank you Andy, I shall be returning bearing plum food gifts soon.

Plum Jam recipe

Recipe
Plums. Their smooth tight skin wrapped around sweet oval flesh, are just coming into season. This year we have a glut. With gloriously overloaded plum trees, if you are lucky enough to have a friend or neighbour to ask, then you can return a pot or two of jam as a thank you. There are all types of plum, and any will do for this recipe. Of course there is the Victoria plum and Green Gages, and you can find locally grown ones in the farm shops, but if you explore a little further into the countryside you may be lucky and discover a Mirabelle or Damson tree. It’s worth checking with the owner’s first, but generally people would prefer to see them made into jam, than get eaten by the wasps. It’s also is worth looking out for their delicious cousins nectarines and peaches, which will also make a superb jam using the same recipe below. These sleek round shiny fruit really do make the most scrumptious jam. What could be better than a cup of hot tea and spooning plum jam over hot buttered toast in the morning?

Ingredients
1.5kg of Plums (stones removed)
1.1kg Jam sugar

Method
Heat the oven on 150 Celsius/ gas mark 2/ 300F
Pop a plate into the fridge
Put the jars (not the lids) in to the oven
Place the chopped Plums in to a large pan. Cover and stir occasionally for about 8 minutes.
Once the consistency is soft add the sugar and dissolve.
The jam then needs 10 – 15 minutes on a rolling bubble. Stir occasionally.
Remove jam jars from the oven.
As the jam boils scoop off any froth like soaps to improve the jam’s clarity. No more than half a cup of froth. When the jam coats the back of the metal spoon it is ready to test. The best test to see if the jam will set is the wrinkle test. Remove the pot from the heat whist you test. Put a small amount of the jam on the cold saucer from the fridge. After minute or so the jam should be cool and wrinkle a little, as you run your finger through the centre.
If not, simply return to the boil and repeat this test in another 2 – 3 minutes.
Whilst still hot ladle the jam into the hot jars using a jam funnel or small jug. Put the lids on after a minute as the heat from the jam will ensure the lids are sterilised. Careful l not to burn yourself and don’t worry if the jar lid is not done up tightly. You can tighten them further when the jars have cooled down. Makes five 1lb jars
I get my jam jars from a super company at www.jarsandbottles.co.uk
Linked recipes
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