Last fall I moved into an apartment with a plum tree in the front yard. I don’t know anything about plants or trees or fruit, and now that summer is here there are hundreds of plums dangling off this tree. They’re attracting millions of ants, as well as raccoons, possums, rats, and a few bold humans who I’ve caught plucking from the tree.

I guess I like plums? But there’s around a week left until they all fall to the ground and become a horrifying slurry, and I’d rather avoid that.

Any suggestions?

TLDR: Have plum tree, it’s bursting with plums, no idea what to do in order to avoid ant apocalypse

    • tymon ( tymon@lemm.ee ) OPEnglish
      11·
      3 years ago

      Having never made a jam or a jelly of any kind, I’m hesitant to try this, but it might be a good option. Do you have a favorite plum jam recipe?

      • godless ( godless@latte.isnot.coffee ) English
        13·
        3 years ago

        Not the original commenter, but it’s really simple, you just need to mix fruit and sugar in a 1:1, 2:1 or 3:1 ratio and add a splash of water, and bring it to a low boil under constant stirring with a wooden spatula. Once all sugar is dissolved, take it off the heat and stir in some gelatine (powder or sheets - if you opt for sheets, soak them in cold water for 90 secs prior). Keep stirring until the gelatine is thoroughly dissolved as well, then put it into jars, pop on the lid while steaming hot, and chuck it in cold water for a minute to create a pressure seal. Then let it fully cool down at room temperature.

        For plum jam particularly, I prefer a bit higher acidity so I’ll go for a 3:1 fruit to sugar ratio, but that’s your call, really. If you want to add some extra flavor notes, you can throw a handful of cloves in when cooking the mix (just get them out before filling it into the jars), and then after cooking, put a cinnamon stick into the jar right before you throw it into the water. That can remain inside until you first open the jar later.

        I’d suggest to experiment around at first with smaller batches to get your preferred mix, and then go all in.

      • barsoap ( barsoap@lemm.ee ) English
        2·
        3 years ago

        Plums contain enough pectin to turn into jam with only sugar and maybe some lemon juice (for acidity) added, though if you’re doing this the first time you probably want to add extra pectin. Over here that’s generally done by buying sugar that’s laden with pectin, in other places you buy the stuff without included sugar, I recommend to search for recipes on your local internet. If you have a plum tree in front of your window someone in your country will know how to turn supermarket ingredients into jam.

        Gelatine in jam is, IMNSHO, a travesty. You’re not making jello.

  • Evkob (they/them) ( Evkob@lemmy.ca ) 
    11·
    3 years ago

    If you want to use them up, this website has a bunch of suggestions.

    If you just want to get rid of them, why not encourage the bold humans who’ve been plucking? Put up a sign saying “Free plums!”, I bet it would be picked clean within a day or two.

    • tymon ( tymon@lemm.ee ) OP
      9·
      3 years ago

      It never even occurred to me to put a sign up advertising the bounty of the tree. This might be simplest. But on the off chance no one takes me up on that, I’ll still have almost 300 plums. I’ll check out that webzone, thanks

  • lvxferre ( lvxferre@lemmy.ml ) 
    11·
    3 years ago

    I’d be making jelly or wine like there was no tomorrow. Plum wine in special is delicious.

    There’s a recipe here, if you want; it works for fruits in general, not just grapes. Note: most equipment can be improvised with some redneck engineering, for example my water lock is simply a piece of flexible tube forced into a U shape with an old hair rubber band, and filled with water.

    You could also share the plums with neighbours. Bonus points if you manage to barter them for something else.

  • Sorghum ( Sorghum@lemmy.ml ) 
    7·
    3 years ago

    National center for home food preservation is a trusted resource for preserving food. All of their recipes are scientifically tested to ensure safety.

    https://nchfp.uga.edu/

    There’s a bunch of plum stuff there, Google plum site:nchfp.uga.edu to get a list.

  • Jfqs6m ( Jfqs6m@lemmy.ml ) 
    7·
    3 years ago

    If avoiding the ant-ageddon is your main goal, pick them and give them away. Free plums sign like others have said? Idk if I’d expect someone to pick them though, I’d pick them and bag them myself.

    If it’s like what do you DO with a million plums after they’re picked, I’m plum out of ideas besides give them away. The jam and wine suggestions sounds interesting. Plum pudding mayhaps?

  • Snapz ( Snapz@beehaw.org ) 
    6·
    3 years ago

    Be advised: the methods given here to make things like wine and jam are missing crucial steps in process. They are going to taste bad at best and at worst… a lot of food borne illnesses in the future of anyone who takes advice here at face value.

    Canning and wine making are very specific processes.

  • saba ( saba@lemmy.ml ) 
    6·
    3 years ago

    search for tkemali sauce recipes. It’s a Georgian plum sauce that is great with meats and vegetables. I’ve used it on pork, chicken, fried potatoes. In Georgia, it is about as common as ketchup is in the USA. There is red tkemali made from ripe plums and green made from unripened. Green is my favorite, but both are really good. I think the plums used in Georgia are a wild plum, but I made some last month with red plums I bought at Kroger. You might have to visit an international market to get some of the spices.

    edit: recipe that i used, minus a couple spices i didn’t find in time, but it still turned out good.