name that fruit....?

ellas9602

My neighbour has a huge tree, the majority of which overhangs my garden. It has green plums on it, only for some reason I don't think they are plums :rotfl: !
they are a lovely yellowy-green colour at the mo but a lot have already started falling off.
I'm sure they could just be plums but instinct tells me different......
(my neighbour is a young bachelor and lets them rot away so won't mind me turning them into jam for him!:D )

recovering_spendaholic

They sound like greengages, which are out at the moment. They are lovely, my favourite fruit in fact. I have just posted asking for a chutney recipe for them as I have been given a load of them, but you can make jam with them in the same way as you make plum jam, but if they are nice and unmarked they are just lovely eaten as they are, or made into cobbler or crumble cake.

Magpye

Could be greengages. They're a member of the plum family I believe. If they are greengages, they'll be sweet and suitable for eating, or for jam, if you like.

jo1972

I LOVE greengages, where do you live and is there free access to your garden

ellas9602

jo1972 wrote: »

I LOVE greengages, where do you live and is there free access to your garden

It's not actually 'my' garden so technically I'd be 'nicking' them and I'm sure you don't really want to be my accomplice? :rotfl:
Anyway thanks everyone. I've just googled greengage and they sure do look like what's at the bottom of my garden. I did have a bite of one and found it really bitter!
So are these ready now then?..........off to look for recipies!

Edited to add: found this recipe which looks simple enough

GREENGAGE JAM
2 lbs. greengages (stalked and stoned), 1½ lb. sugar, water.
Put fruit in pan with small quantity of water; bring to boil and simmer gently 15 mins.; add sugar, stirring till dissolved; bring to boil and boil gently to set; pot and cover at once.

moanymoany

Greengages, the French call them Claudes Reines and they make the best jam in the world - lucky you.

susank

They should be sweet when ready - not bitter

thriftlady_2

They definitely sound like greengages, although there are yellow varieties of plums -there's one from Worcestershire called Yellow Pershore which makes an appearance round here any minute now http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/yellow_pershore_variety.aspx

dannahaz

If they taste bitter, then they aren't ripe (or they aren't plums/greengages at all).

When ripe they should be very soft and juice, and very sweet to eat.

The flesh inside a greengage is very similar texture to the flesh inside a plum.

mioliere

They definitely sound like greengages. Stewed plums and greengages are a delicious combination! Even better with cream!

daisyroots_2

Don't let them get too soft if you plan to make jam. The riper they get, the less pectin they contain, and that's the thing that makes jam set. Having said that, all the plum family are rich in pectin, and you can buy it too, so don't worry about it too much. Many people will tell you that you need soft fruit for jam - greengrocers trying to shift pulp for example - and they are Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, slightly under ripe is best