tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post3274490871388558330..comments2023-05-02T12:33:58.182+01:00Comments on Perpetually In Transit: A plum by any other name…Perpetuahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-81847442815140632482014-08-11T16:32:08.749+01:002014-08-11T16:32:08.749+01:00They are wonderful, aren't they, Annie? I'...They are wonderful, aren't they, Annie? I'm already researching greengages so that we can plant one back in Wales, a September-fruiting one, so that we're sure to be there when they are ripe. :)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-46297675682226930012014-08-11T13:47:13.430+01:002014-08-11T13:47:13.430+01:00Greengages have to be my favourite fruit ... I wou...Greengages have to be my favourite fruit ... I would so love to have a greengage tree.Annie Cholewahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17608057589525908147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-3790873716934882012014-08-07T16:41:47.861+01:002014-08-07T16:41:47.861+01:00Hello, Jane and Lance.
From what I can gather, Fr...Hello, Jane and Lance.<br /><br />From what I can gather, France is the place to be for greengages as they are still widely grown here and available in the markets. The greengage jam is now in the cupboard waiting to go home with us and the rest are in the freezer for desserts during the remainder of our stay. <br /><br />Thankfully we only get a big crop every few years, or I don't know what I would do with all the fruit. Having been brought up to be thrifty, I can't bear to see it go to waste. Such a pity I can't share it with with all my readers.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-38722611119865947522014-08-07T11:28:45.349+01:002014-08-07T11:28:45.349+01:00Hello Perpetua,
Yes, please!
We love Greengages ...Hello Perpetua,<br /><br />Yes, please!<br /><br />We love Greengages but one seldom sees them these days. An ancient parent of ours used to make Greengage jam with great success and it is very versatile. As you say, it is a great accompaniment to meat whilst also being able to stand alone deliciously with only bread and butter for company.<br /><br />How lucky you are to have them right outside your own front door but, not so lucky to have to deal with them. But, oh, what a fabulous taste of summer to be able to look forward to from your winter store cupboard. Yummmmmm!Jane and Lance Hattatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16831890261259302647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-82440783559499489492014-08-06T11:19:52.735+01:002014-08-06T11:19:52.735+01:00The are amazingly sweet and delicious, Jean, but I...The are amazingly sweet and delicious, Jean, but I didn't have clue ours were greengages until this summer. I'm now determined to plant a tree in the UK - a September-fruiting one so that I can have two goes at them. :) Who knows - your new house may have a greengage tree or room to plant one...<br /><br />Thanks so much for all your suggestions for using them, which I've made a note of. I'll now have hunt for your hot fruit salad recipe. This year's crop are now cooked and in the freezer for us to enjoy between now and our return to the UK at the beginning of September. Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-49877146701912525142014-08-05T17:52:01.904+01:002014-08-05T17:52:01.904+01:00The first time I ever ate a greengage to my knowle...The first time I ever ate a greengage to my knowledge was after buying some "reine claude" plums on the market in Le Grand-Pressigny during our first visit.<br />I was amazed how sweet and delicious they were and now look forward to them arriving on the market stalls each year.<br />Plum crumble, cake, cobbler and clafoutis are my favourite ways to use them. They also go extremely well with apples and strawberries. The hot fruit salad recipe on my blog is a lovely way to have them, mixed with other stone fruit.<br />The BBC Food and Good Food websites are both excellent sources of recipes where you might find some more ideas.<br />You could of course just cook them and freeze them for future enjoyment. Lucky you to have such a thing as a greengage tree in your garden!Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-28177909182351499012014-08-05T12:01:08.813+01:002014-08-05T12:01:08.813+01:00Many thanks, Tim. Very helpful.Many thanks, Tim. Very helpful.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-83482809671615495022014-08-05T10:58:23.392+01:002014-08-05T10:58:23.392+01:00For figs in Wales, Perpetua....
read this:
http://...For figs in Wales, Perpetua....<br />read this:<br />http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/?page_id=7833Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16439261142732764451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-64730920543718923552014-08-05T09:53:01.791+01:002014-08-05T09:53:01.791+01:00Thanks so much for the wise advice about fig trees...Thanks so much for the wise advice about fig trees, Tim. However, given that we're always back in the UK by mid-September at the latest, I think I ought to try a fig tree back home in Wales, or only the birds would benefit. I can plant it alongside the greengage that will be going in as soon as I can arrange it. :)<br /><br />I love the idea of your greengage sorbet, if a drop of calva would work as well as eau-de-vie. I still have a few left so will head for the kitchen now and start pureeing....Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-65257680613449021082014-08-04T23:29:20.340+01:002014-08-04T23:29:20.340+01:00Sorry, Perpetua....
"every thirty mins. scrap...Sorry, Perpetua....<br />"<i>every thirty mins. scrape the frozen away from the sides... </i>"<br />should say:<br /><b>every thirty mins., until you cannot do it easily, scrape the frozen away from the sides... </b>Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16439261142732764451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-72031939721777799852014-08-04T23:23:05.475+01:002014-08-04T23:23:05.475+01:00Perpetua...
they should fruit perfectly happily in...Perpetua...<br />they should fruit perfectly happily in Normandy!<br />It is just a mater of getting the right variety...<br />and your local pepineriste should be able to set you right.<br />I know of good productive trees as far north as Durham...<br />a sunny wall helps fruiting...<br />and bury a large "regard" with its lid as the bottom...<br />that will restrain the roots and force it to fruit...<br />and don't bother with the "knocking off" of the little fruit in Autumn....<br />a cold snap will do that anyway.<br />BUT... pinch off any small fruits that'll never develop [called <i>breba figs</i>] in late September.<br />You should be able to get a variety for Welsh Wales, too.<br />OK, you'll never get enough for jam making.... but, you will have enough to enjoy fresh with cream...<br />and poach any that don't ripen fully in white or rosé wine with added honey and a vanilla pod.<br /><br />On the "Wren-Claw'd" front...<br />[actually it wasn't the wren that pecked them all...<br />it was the young blackbirds]...<br />we've bottled the best...<br />stewed the rest...<br />we had some of the stewed tonight....<br />with a wonderful "Spiced Courgette Cake" and créme fraiche....<br />a sort of instant trifle....<br />tomorrow I will be using the trusty...<br />I said trusty, not rusty; it is in Inox...<br />Mouli to puree another batch...<br />for Greengage sorbet....<br />with a touch of our neighbour's Mirabelle Eau-de-Vie to stop it freezing too hard.<br />If you haven't an ice-cream machine...<br />worry not....<br />use a box in the freezer...<br />every thirty mins. scrape the frozen away from the sides... <br />and base, with a wooden spatula.... <br />then whisk briskly with a fork and return to the freezer.... <br />the harder you beat it, the less like a "<i>granita</i>" it will be!<br />Enjoy!!Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16439261142732764451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-32799998272752441892014-08-04T20:51:33.012+01:002014-08-04T20:51:33.012+01:00Crumble was my very first thought, Sarah, so I mad...Crumble was my very first thought, Sarah, so I made one when we had visitors a couple of weeks ago. It was gorgeous. Crumble never fails to hit the spot.:-)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-25970383821433250582014-08-04T20:50:08.871+01:002014-08-04T20:50:08.871+01:00Gosh, what a wonderfully detailed and informative ...Gosh, what a wonderfully detailed and informative comment, Vagabonde. Yes, I can well imagine that the sight of Reine Claude plums would transport you back to your French childhood and call up some very vivid memories of delicious meals. <br /><br />Thank you SO much for the clafoutis recipe which I can read and use in French quite comfortably. I still have some greengages left, and all the other ingredients too, so I will try this tomorrow. I've seen recipes for cherry clafoutis, but never for greengage, so look forward very much to sampling it. Your mother's sauce sounds good too. I hadn't though of adding calva when cooking reines claudes. :-)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-67345392294388780842014-08-04T20:36:02.411+01:002014-08-04T20:36:02.411+01:00It really is delicious, Pondside. I'm delighte...It really is delicious, Pondside. I'm delighted to think that the word greengage conjures up the same kind of county house living in your mind as in mine. Something out of a Merchant Ivory film perhaps? <br /><br />Chutney is a lovely idea which had occurred to me, but sadly all my pickling spices are in the UK and I didn't want to start buying more. Another time...Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-41538230355254697222014-08-04T20:30:52.230+01:002014-08-04T20:30:52.230+01:00I know, it's a lot, DB, and I wish we could sh...I know, it's a lot, DB, and I wish we could ship some over to you. :-) However I've managed to use them all, between making jam, eating them raw and cooking and freezing them for future puddings. Is it a greengage thing, do you think, only to crop well occasionally? This is only the second decent crop in our 8 summers here.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-9185059534913603472014-08-04T12:53:44.348+01:002014-08-04T12:53:44.348+01:00Don't worry, you're not the first to make ...Don't worry, you're not the first to make this kind of mistake. I remember making damson cheese for the first time and overcooking it to such an extent I had to use a sharp knife to cut it out of the jars before I could throw it away!Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-33386044135969117762014-08-04T11:14:06.726+01:002014-08-04T11:14:06.726+01:00Yes... I see it all now.... mistake after mistake....Yes... I see it all now.... mistake after mistake...following an English recipe was the first error. I should have known after macerating peaches and apricots and obtaining fabulous jam...... and yes, my greengages were the Reines Claudes vertes.... the pectin level must have been sky high. You can stretch the stuff I have produced.....lesson learned !<br />Janicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05449652020751269674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-80997070032368258112014-08-04T11:08:09.559+01:002014-08-04T11:08:09.559+01:00Janice, my greengages are the large yellowish kind...Janice, my greengages are the large yellowish kind and the French recipe actually said to add the juice of one lemon for each kg of stined fruit, so I'm guessing their sweetness needed it. I suspect your greengages were the smaller and very green Reines Claudes vertes with much higher pectin levels. Which method did you use - French maceration and more gentle cooking or English 'add water and boil'?Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-91109959072470417952014-08-04T10:57:21.451+01:002014-08-04T10:57:21.451+01:00You're so right, Linda. We'd been eating t...You're so right, Linda. We'd been eating them straight from the tree for a little while before the main crop suddenly ripened almost overnight. I do hope your fruit trees flourish. I'm now determined to plant a greengage at home in Wales so that we can go on enjoying them even if we no longer come to France.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-63292444185180505722014-08-04T10:51:49.143+01:002014-08-04T10:51:49.143+01:00I too had heard of them, Jennifer, but never consc...I too had heard of them, Jennifer, but never consciously eaten one fresh, though I do remember my mother buying greengage jam as a treat. I'm pleased with the way my jam has turned out and it will make a very pleasant change from apricot. :) Yes, my jam always reminds me of France.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-75177175403565191682014-08-04T10:46:30.894+01:002014-08-04T10:46:30.894+01:00The Canadian climate may be too extreme for greeng...The Canadian climate may be too extreme for greengages, Kristie, though I'd have thought they would grow near the coast. They are particularly sweet and juicy plums and delicious eaten raw or cooked. sadly my French oven is too basic to have a reliable low setting, so i don't think drying them is on. I'll just have to finish stoning and stewing them gently, ready to freeze for the weeks to come. <br /><br />The upside-down method for sealing jam jars works beautifully and I always do it now.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-5270908949819412932014-08-04T10:44:22.526+01:002014-08-04T10:44:22.526+01:00Yum! You could make crumble too. My mouth's wa...Yum! You could make crumble too. My mouth's watering at the thought. :)Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13195684182481935384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-68478955619664044792014-08-04T10:42:44.325+01:002014-08-04T10:42:44.325+01:00A nice thought, but we don't have the equipmen...A nice thought, but we don't have the equipment, sadly. Still, they aren't going to waste...:)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-21036646394027603932014-08-04T10:41:46.602+01:002014-08-04T10:41:46.602+01:00Yes, it's a lot, Patricia and there was more h...Yes, it's a lot, Patricia and there was more high up which DH couldn't reach. As you see, I've made jam and we're eating them raw too, ass well as cooking and freezing them for later use. In France they are known as Reines Claudes and are very popular and widely grown, so you may be lucky. :)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-47891274005718495472014-08-04T10:38:34.449+01:002014-08-04T10:38:34.449+01:00It's been a wonderfully abundant summer this y...It's been a wonderfully abundant summer this year, Linda, and lots of my friends here have gardens bursting with courgettes/zucchini. You can make cakes with them, you know, as well as lovely dishes like ratatouille. I really envy you your grapes - such refreshing fruit. :-)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.com