Plums and Pots and Purple Juice
10 August 2010 by Jean JohnsonThere’s something elemental about a kettle of plums simmering on the stove. The pink foam percolates up around the burnished round fruits. Purple skins burst on ruby red flesh. Leaning in over the pot for a deep breath of harvest: sweet, sticky, dense, royal.
The neighbor around the corner can’t keep up with her plums so I went over and nabbed a couple baskets. Now they’re out there. In the kitchen cooking down in a big pot of mindfulness. Not sure just what will come of them yet. But it’s all fun. Actually, it’s all work. But it’s work I seem drawn to when harvest begins rolling around yet again. The gathering in of it all. The not letting food go to waste. The preserving for winter. It’s true. I’m smitten.
7 Responses to “Plums and Pots and Purple Juice”
Hi Jean, Those plums look just like the plums that were on a tree in our backyard when I was a kid. My mother called them “prune plums” and said they were the kind people could dry to make prunes. Mom never did that – she canned ours and we ate them all winter. Delicious!
Great blog
Lindy
By Lindy Barnes on Aug 10, 2010
These look delicious, Jean! I like to roast plums and serve them warm with Greek Yogurt. Preserving the bounty certainly puts a new spin on winter in my book! Nothing quite like enjoying the fruits of our labor (literally) when the dark winter days descend!
By Pam Glaze on Aug 10, 2010
Best eating plums grown. You’ve a good neighbor Jean. S
By S Fetzer on Aug 11, 2010
Stevie–nice to hear from you–when you comin’ to P-town?
By Jean Johnson on Aug 12, 2010
Nah, Lindy–those aren’t the Italian prune plums–I grow those and they pit easily–no crop this year though…these are a different critter, not sure of the name…Anyhow, glad you likey the blog–and like your mom, I’m thinking of canning some whole
By Jean Johnson on Aug 12, 2010
And to Pam–I’m with you on the putting up for winter thing–love it
By Jean Johnson on Aug 12, 2010
There’s also an idea on roasting plums for freezing in Hippie Kitchen. Just some heat and balsamic does the trick.
By Jean Johnson, Measure Free Hippie Cook on Aug 3, 2011