An Overabundance of Fruit

[Michlow]

5 years ago, when we purchased our house, my husband planted 8 trees on our little lot (about 100x150). Like Noah & the animals, they were all in pairs. 2 Plum, 2 Peach, 2 Pear, and 2 Apple Trees.

At the time, I was not too happy about the trees. I knew that they would eventually take up a lot of room in our little lot, and I didn't really have much hope that they would produce much of anything. The first 3 years, were pretty fruitless, with the 4th year producing a few plums, and one eatable pear.

So imagine our surprise this year when we began to see the abundance of our harvest on one of the plum trees. The poor little tree can't even hold all the weight of the fruit!

I took these pictures right before we picked a small buckets worth. Yes, we now have plums with every meal! Yesterday, I modified my Zucchini bread recipe, and made Plum Walnut bread. I used the least ripe ones that were a little tart, and it actually tasted like Cranberry bread.

With the cost of organic food, it's really nice to be able to go outside and pick it off the tree for nothing! :D



http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/50/plums001ig7.th.jpg (http://img526.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plums001ig7.jpg)

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/7768/plums004nw7.th.jpg (http://img526.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plums004nw7.jpg)

[CC1]

I am jealous.

[SDG]

In due season if we remain rooted ... we all will bear much fruit.

[jaxfam6]

I am jealous.

Me too

[Michlow]

I am jealous.

LOL, the thing that gets me, is that I threw such a big fit when he planted the trees in the first place.

So in addition to plums, I am having to eat crow! :D

[Rico]

Eat enough of those plums and you will be increasing your toilet paper budget in no time! :D

[The Mrs]

We have a HUGE plum tree in our backyard. They are the yellow kind...extremely sweet when ripe and soooo delicious to eat.

I've always felt like it's such a shame for that tree to bear so much fruit and I've never really done anything with them. We could never eat that many plums. I've never heard of using them in a bread recipe, but that sounds wonderful! Do you use them in any other recipes?

[Cindy]

Plum jelly's and jam's are delicious. :)

[Michlow]

We have a HUGE plum tree in our backyard. They are the yellow kind...extremely sweet when ripe and soooo delicious to eat.

I've always felt like it's such a shame for that tree to bear so much fruit and I've never really done anything with them. We could never eat that many plums. I've never heard of using them in a bread recipe, but that sounds wonderful! Do you use them in any other recipes?

Well, this is my first year, so right now, I am winging it!

Smoothies and fruit bread is the most that I have come up. I suppose there are pies and cobblers and puddings. But I have never made any of those, LOL.

But another Idea, that I often do with fresh fruit, is to buy plain non-fat yogurt, and add fresh fruit and sweetner (sugar or splenda, whichever you prefer) to it. In the end it tastes much better than pre-flavored yogurts, and skips all the chemicals and preservatives.

Another good use, is angel food cake, fresh fruit, and cool whip. Angel food cake is good, because it's relatively fat free.

I'll keep you updated as to what I do. Because in few months, I will have both the pears & the peaches to harvest. I suppose I could learn how to can, or make preserves, but ughhhhh...that sounds like a lot of work!

[The Mrs]

Well, this is my first year, so right now, I am winging it!

Smoothies and fruit bread is the most that I have come up. I suppose there are pies and cobblers and puddings. But I have never made any of those, LOL.

But another Idea, that I often do with fresh fruit, is to buy plain non-fat yogurt, and add fresh fruit and sweetner (sugar or splenda, whichever you prefer) to it. In the end it tastes much better than pre-flavored yogurts, and skips all the chemicals and preservatives.

Another good use, is angel food cake, fresh fruit, and cool whip. Angel food cake is good, because it's relatively fat free.

I'll keep you updated as to what I do. Because in few months, I will have both the pears & the peaches to harvest. I suppose I could learn how to can, or make preserves, but ughhhhh...that sounds like a lot of work!

Wonderful suggestions!

And yeah, I agree with you...not sure I'm THAT into the plums to want to preserve them. They aren't all that big and it seems like the end result may not be worth the labor you'd have to put into it. But then again, I've never done it, so I could be totally wrong. It may be extremely easy! :wacko

[Cindy]

Well, this is my first year, so right now, I am winging it!

Smoothies and fruit bread is the most that I have come up. I suppose there are pies and cobblers and puddings. But I have never made any of those, LOL.

But another Idea, that I often do with fresh fruit, is to buy plain non-fat yogurt, and add fresh fruit and sweetner (sugar or splenda, whichever you prefer) to it. In the end it tastes much better than pre-flavored yogurts, and skips all the chemicals and preservatives.

Another good use, is angel food cake, fresh fruit, and cool whip. Angel food cake is good, because it's relatively fat free.

I'll keep you updated as to what I do. Because in few months, I will have both the pears & the peaches to harvest. I suppose I could learn how to can, or make preserves, but ughhhhh...that sounds like a lot of work!

Canning is much simpler now than it was. It is less work and time consuming. :)

[Michlow]

Canning is much simpler now than it was. It is less work and time consuming. :)

I might want to look into it. I really do try, as much as possible, to eat as healthy and as naturally as possible. However, being poor, buying organic is usually way out of my budget. LOL, buying fresh produce, is usually out of my budget!

[Cindy]

I might want to look into it. I really do try, as much as possible, to eat as healthy and as naturally as possible. However, being poor, buying organic is usually way out of my budget. LOL, buying fresh produce, is usually out of my budget!

We try to grow a big garden every year. We have a lot of fruit trees planted in our front garden. If you don't have time to can, are you near a homeless shelter? If so, I imagine they would love some fresh fruit. We give a lot of our produce away at church and where my husband works.

[Michlow]

We try to grow a big garden every year. We have a lot of fruit trees planted in our front garden. If you don't have time to can, are you near a homeless shelter? If so, I imagine they would love some fresh fruit. We give a lot of our produce away at church and where my husband works.

I am not sure about homeless shelters in our area, we live in a pretty small town. But if it comes to that, I am sure that I can find someone to take them off our hands. I am a member of the local www.freecycle.org which is always a good alternative. (I hate waste!)

[Ron]

5 years ago, when we purchased our house, my husband planted 8 trees on our little lot (about 100x150). Like Noah & the animals, they were all in pairs. 2 Plum, 2 Peach, 2 Pear, and 2 Apple Trees.

At the time, I was not too happy about the trees. I knew that they would eventually take up a lot of room in our little lot, and I didn't really have much hope that they would produce much of anything. The first 3 years, were pretty fruitless, with the 4th year producing a few plums, and one eatable pear.

So imagine our surprise this year when we began to see the abundance of our harvest on one of the plum trees. The poor little tree can't even hold all the weight of the fruit!

I took these pictures right before we picked a small buckets worth. Yes, we now have plums with every meal! Yesterday, I modified my Zucchini bread recipe, and made Plum Walnut bread. I used the least ripe ones that were a little tart, and it actually tasted like Cranberry bread.

With the cost of organic food, it's really nice to be able to go outside and pick it off the tree for nothing! :D



http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/50/plums001ig7.th.jpg (http://img526.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plums001ig7.jpg)

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/7768/plums004nw7.th.jpg (http://img526.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plums004nw7.jpg)

That is neat!

Wait until the neighbourhood kids find out about the fruit!:toofunny

[Pro31:28]

Plum jelly's and jam's are delicious. :)

and freezer jam is a snap to make!

[Michlow]

and freezer jam is a snap to make!

How is it made?

[Margies3]

Your plums have done like our cherries. This is the first year we have ever had so many cherries on our tree that the branches are heavy enough that they are literally hanging down to the ground!

I am NOT one to pick or clean those tiny little pieces of fruit. So the invitation is open to anyone who wants to come and pick the cherries. You can have all you want!

[Rico]

Sounds like this could be a bumper crop year for fruit. Someone else I know told me he has a bunch of fruit on his fruit trees as well.

[bethola]

I'm getting ready to make a blackberry cobbler with blackberries from MY bush! This is the first year we've had enough to do anything with! I'm soooo excited! LOL Especially since we live IN THE MIDDLE of town!

We have a blackberry bush, peach tree and something like 8 or 10 tomato plants. OOOOO! I ate the FIRST grape tomato today, right off the plant, hot. YUM! Nothin' better in the world!

Beth

[smilee]

I might want to look into it. I really do try, as much as possible, to eat as healthy and as naturally as possible. However, being poor, buying organic is usually way out of my budget. LOL, buying fresh produce, is usually out of my budget!


I know how you feel. I just go by the produce and sniff. lol Just watch the sales. We had cantelope 99 cents and nectarines 88 cents this week.
I also have a plum tree but heard the birds having a party and then realized they had eaten all my plums before I realized they were ready. Also the coons will eat pears and the crows will eat pecans . So watch your fruit daily.

I think you can boil the plums and strain the juice and use for jelly and cobblers. the cobblers will be great in the winter with a little homemade Blue Bell. lol You can freeze this juice in ziplock bags about 2 cups in one and it will be available when you need it.

Makin me hungry!!!!!!

[Kae]

Wonderful suggestions!

And yeah, I agree with you...not sure I'm THAT into the plums to want to preserve them. They aren't all that big and it seems like the end result may not be worth the labor you'd have to put into it. But then again, I've never done it, so I could be totally wrong. It may be extremely easy! :wacko

Pruning the tree in the autumn or early spring will cause you plums to grow bigger, not as many but they will be bigger and worth it.

[chosenbyone]

Plum jelly's and jam's are delicious. :)

I was thinking the same thing...yum!!! :thumbsup