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
Pick them all, seed them and make a shitton of plum jam
Yep, this is probably the best bet. Some other options: ferment them to make wine or pit and freeze the flesh to drop into smoothies or make juice out of on demand.
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?
Well the good news if that with the literal hundred plums you have, you can afford to “waste” plums until you figure out how to make proper jam! :)
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.