Reach for those plums while the time is still right

Scottish growers and leading chefs share why plums are something to snap up and savour while we can, along with some of the best ways to enjoy them

For plum-lovers, there’s only a short window of opportunity to source locally grown fruits.

That’s because they are only in season in the UK from mid-August to mid-September – and it can take the trees about three years to bear fruit.

Low in calories, but high in essential minerals and vitamins, plums are a stone fruit that we just can’t get enough of and are so easy to use in an array of baking and cooking recipes.

So, we’ve spoken to people involved in growing plums and in cooking with them to find out how we can make the most of the season.

What do the growers say?

Growing plums on a tree can take a lot of time and attention. It also saps a lot of energy from the trees when they bear fruit and can take almost a full year for a plum tree to recover once it has produced a crop.

Gerben de Vries, secretary at Newburgh Orchard Group, which holds regular plum markets, says the whole process is almost an artform in itself.

“There are two different ways you can buy them as plum trees – bare root stock, which are planted before the growing season starts, or pot-grown,” he explains.

“Then it’s a matter of growing it and looking after it, which is an art in itself. Effectively, you plant a tree and it can take between three and eight years before it starts to fruit. Then afterwards you have to prune it regularly.”

He also alludes to the fact that once they’ve been grown, plums don’t last very long, so it’s vital they are eaten almost immediately.

“Plums don’t keep very long. You either eat them fresh or you process them, typically into jams. You can freeze them if you want to and use them later. You can’t store them as they are at room temperature, as they go off in a few days. Supermarkets and shops will have special storage facilities for them.

“There are two types, if you want – cooking plums and eating plums. The cooking plums are more for jam making, and eating plums are for either jam making or eating from the tree.

“Varieties-wise, there are more than 1,000 of them.” How do chefs use plums?

Plums are a hugely popular fruit in many baking recipes, including jam, cakes, tarts and crumbles.

Phil Skinazki, executive pastry chef at Gleneagles, also uses a lot of plums in his pastries at the awardwinning hotel and says we should be eating them in season where possible.

He says: “At this time of year, we see a plentiful supply of plums – signalling the moment when summer turns to autumn – and their sweet flavour adds something unique to numerous puddings and savoury dishes, including cobblers, crumbles, cakes, pies, chutneys, jams and compotes.

“Plums come in lots of colours and varieties, but the Victoria plum – a classic British fruit that used to be grown in south-facing Victorian walled gardens – is one of my all-time favourites. They’re grown here in Scotland and across the UK, so they’re very inexpensive. This also means you don’t have to leave them on your worktop for a week to ripen; they’re perfect as they are and ready to enjoy.”

In terms of cooking with them, Phil agrees they’re a very versatile fruit to use in baking and cooking recipes.

“Its flesh cooks very well and holds its substance during cooking, making them perfect for baking.

“Its initial flavour is sweet, and then you’re hit with a slightly tart note at the back, but it’s much less acidic than its autumnal fruit cousins, apples and blackberries.”