Plums are an abundant seasonal crop with many varieties worth exploring, among them damson, mirabelle, victoria and greengages. If you find yourself with too many plums, cook them up in a number of simple desserts, from crumble to upside-down cake. My favourite is also the easiest: griddle plum halves and serve with whipped ricotta. They’re also great in savoury salads, raw or grilled.
If the fruit is very ripe and soft, however, try preserving it in sugar instead. Jams, chutneys and compotes are a fine way to preserve any fruit glut – the sugar protects it – and they keep for ages. Compote is made by boiling whole pieces of fruit in a spiced sugar syrup; it can then be served as a pudding, or with yoghurt and granola for breakfast. Jam, on the other hand, is made by boiling fruit in its own juices with sugar and pectin, until it gels.
Plum kernels, like other soft fruits, have a delicious, bitter almond flavour. But beware: they contain the compound amygdalin, which breaks down into the poison hydrogen cyanide when ingested. That said, according to the Food Safety Hazard Guidebook (on the Royal Society of Chemistry website), hydrogen cyanide is not heat stable, so cannot survive cooking.
Plum compote
Compote is the simplest way to transform plums into a sophisticated and delicious dessert or yummy breakfast. Serve on yoghurt or with whipped ricotta.
330ml water
75g sugar
1 star anise
1 piece citrus peel
250g plums, halved and stoned
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan with the sugar, star anise and citrus peel. Reduce to a simmer, add the plums and cook gently for three minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a sterilised jar and seal.
