Are These Edible Plums?

[bjblackmore]

Hi,

While out walking our dogs at the weekend, we ran into another dog walker we sometimes see, who asked us if we'd picked any of the plums on the ridge that surrounds our housing estate. We didn't even know there were plum tress up there, so today we walked up, and filled a bag, mostly from just grabbing handfulls of the fruit that had fallen on the floor, and nearly carpeted it!

There appear to be 3 types of 'plum' that we found, a yellow ping pong ball sized 'plum', an even smaller yellow cherry sized 'plum', and a purplish, cherry sized 'plum'.

Does anyone know if these are definitely plums, and if so, are they definitely all edible? I'm a bit weary about picking fruit I'm not sure of, don't want to poison myself!

Thanks

Ben

[Jeanied]

They look like cherry plums to me - have you tasted them yet? Cherry plums are sweet.
Not often you find cherry plum trees when out hedgerowing, so well worth marking the spot. People don't know about them so they tend to leave them all for you!
If they are semi sweet, then they could be bullaces - which are also edible.

[ladylottie]

Lucky you! Yes they are all edible. I've recently made plum crumbles and a very nice plum and ginger jam from some exactly like those in your photos. Get back up there with a bigger bag

[valmarg]

I think the name for them is mirabelles, and yes they are most certainly edible,

Enjoy.

valmarg

[Jeanied]

Gosh, and the trees are nearly £40 to buy!!

[bjblackmore]

Haven't tasted then yet, wanted to double check they weren't poisonous first, will taste some now.

The other dog walker who told us about them said he'd had a couple of carrier bags worth that he was going to make plum crumble out of.

[weekendwellies]

They certainly look edible to me. Very much like the ones I used to scavenge and since getting a garden, have growing.
Only one way to find out though

[lettucegrow!]

If the tree is a bit thorny they are bullaces and really good for making jam and jelly. Made some last weekend after an accidental find last weekend. Yummm!

[Two_Sheds]

All plums are edible, though some are tastier than others

Bullaces are usually black with a blue bloom, like sloes: Small Black Bullace - Bullace - Fruit Trees - Keepers Nursery - possibly the largest range of fruit trees and soft fruit plants in the world (although they can be green)

What you have are cherry plums (myrobalan): they have yellow, or red, small fruits on them, and both colours are often planted together. Our cycle path (used to be a railway line) is lined with them.

[Jeanied]

We had greeny yellow bullaces in Suffolk, Two Sheds - sweeter than the black ones.
Mother cooked them all the time - these were times of austerity!
Found a link
Norfolk Kitchen: Yellow Bullace Jam.

[Two_Sheds]

We had greeny yellow bullaces in Suffolk

Cool, we only get the black ones up here. I found out what they were because they are on our sloe patch, but clearly weren't sloes

[Flummery]

They make great jam, wine and chutney - ask me how I know!

[Glutton4...]

No dark Bullaces to be found round here, I've only ever seen yellowy-green ones, with a slight pink blush when ripe - just when the Wasps move in. They make the most delicious tangy Jam!

At the Stables we have Sloes, Bullaces and another two types of Plum, a larger dark one, like a Damson, and an in-between sized one that is slightly more pinky-purple, and very sweet. Unfortunately, they are higher up than I can reach.

[quark1]

BJB - what a lucky find - fill your foraging (wrong word !scavenging) boots asap and trawl through the recipes for a myriad of ideas - sure you'll be able to make both sweet and savouries from these.

As some mentioned - the yellow ones look like mirabelles I've seen recently for a mahoosive price in a garden catalogue.

[northepaul]

Cool, we only get the black ones up here. I found out what they were because they are on our sloe patch, but clearly weren't sloes

We dont get any down here!!