Tuesday, 12 July 2011

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow...

...it's probably me, crashing about with a carrier bag full of cherry plums. I noticed that a couple of the local trees I stake out were starting to drop, so once I'd dropped the boys off at school I went foraging for windfalls. Obviously I'd prefer to pick them straight off the tree, but most of them were too high up to reach. If they've just dropped and aren't too battered they're fine to use after a good wash.

Cherry plums are the original wild fruit that most cultivated varieties of plum are descended from, and are so-called as the fruit is about the same size as a cherry. Some trees have red fruit and some yellow, and whilst you can cook them (they're often bit sour and small to eat raw) my favourite way to use them is to make plum jelly, or even better - plum vodka. I can't describe to you just how insanely good this is, so I'm going to share the recipe so you can make your own ready for Christmas. I know, I'm too good to you.

This recipe is double what I made last year, but it's worth making plenty. Obviously you can just adjust the proportions depending on the amount of fruit you have, and if you want to use gin instead, then go for it.


The fruit of my labours [sorry]


You will need:
2lbs cherry plums, washed but whole
16oz granulated sugar
6 or 7 cloves
couple of pieces of cinnamon stick
1 litre of vodka/gin (I got mine from co-op as I was there, but usually buy the cheapest nastiest corner shop gut-rot I can. There's no point in wasting Grey Goose on this, you're putting a ton of sugar in anyway). They ID'd me, despite me explaining why I was asking for 'your cheapest and largest bottle of vodka please!'. I am 34. Sigh.

Stab the plums a few times - my implement of choice is a corn on the cob holder - add all the ingredients to a large bottle (a funnel would be handy for the sugar, I don't have one so improvised with some rolled up paper), and shake vigorously (make sure the lid is on properly). You will be left with something that looks like a science experiment involving pond dredging. I'm using a big catering size squash bottle, but a large and well washed plastic milk bottle would do just as well.

Can you see the tadpoles cloves?

Keep in a cool dark place, and shake every day, the sugar will gradually dissolve. The plums will go brown and shrivel over time, this is fine. I recommend leaving the fruit in the bottle for as long as possible and shaking it when you remember once the sugar has dissolved. I keep mine near the washing machine in the utility room so shake it when I do a load of laundry! As the months go by you'll notice the colour getting deeper as more and more juice comes out of the fruit. You'll probably need to top up with a little more vodka at some point too. Sometime in December, strain the liquid through a jelly bag and bottle up. It's not really essential to sterilise the bottles I don't think - not like it is for jam making - but putting them through the dishwasher first could be a good idea. I didn't eat the left over shrivelled fruit last year, but they'd probably make a very boozy crumble!

Last year's vintage! Made entirely of yellow plums.
This year's might be a different colour as there were a lot more red ones

The finished drink is smooth and slightly spicy, perfect for Christmas. You can drink it neat as a liqueur  (it doesn't burn your throat like dodgy holiday schnapps!) or make into a long drink with lemonade. Small bottles prettied up with a nice label and a pair of retro glasses would make a really lovely gift. 

Let me know if you try it! This is going to be my Monthly Make for July over at The Felt Fairy.
Linked to Penny Pinching Party and Handmade Thursday

Lakota x


Edit: A few people have queried whether you can use other varieties of wild plum or those from the supermarket. Obviously it's cheaper if you get the fruit for free, but there's no reason why you can't use regular plums. If you do, you'll probably have to chop them to fit into your bottle - but you won't need to stab them. I would say leave the stones in too, as I think they may help with flavour. The only other thing is that you may need to adjust the sugar if your plums are very sweet? Maybe by an ounce or two, although I'm not an expert! My advice would be to make a small experimental batch (half my recipe), and make a note of proportions used so you can adjust for next year if necessary. You'll still need some to counter the vodka kick, but you don't want it tooth-rottingly sweet. If you don't like cloves - leave them out. I'm sure you could add other spices you might have and it would be just as good - maybe star anise?

50 comments:

  1. FHCS followers - I can vouch for this. It's lush - but don't drink too much at once or that is what you may be too.

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  2. I think for your liver's sake you should send me some. ;0)

    Madison xxx

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  3. Sounds lovely, I really should try some of these recipies x

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  4. Hooray for foraging and vodka!

    Kate @ Tilly's House

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  5. Amazing! It sounds like the perfect Christmas drink! I don't think I've ever seen a cherry plum tree around here..shame as this looks fun but I suppose it could be done using other similar fruits.

    I love that vodka bottle with the babushka dolls on the label! xxx

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  6. Must make this it sounds fab :)

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  7. I had some of Lakota's Plum Vodka last Christmas and it is really, really good. There was just one problem - not enough!
    xxx

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  8. V. interesting - I am keen to make this, but not sure about finding cherry plums. Could one use ordinary plums? Looks so yummy in the picture I'm dying to try it. xxx

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  9. I made some jam last weekend with wild plums but this sounds a whole lot easier (and tastier!) than all the stone removal I had to do. If I pick anymore I might give it a go with gin!

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  10. Firstly Miss Lakota, how nice to be ID'd...that's a COMPLIMENT Lakota, don't you know...
    I also would like to know if you can use ordinary plums to make this, have you tried? could you let us know please. I am going to try and make (nearly) all of my Chrissy presents this year and i think this would go down q-u-i-t-e nicely!

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  11. will definitely be trying this after baby's born! May be a tad snobbish though and use my mum's Smirnoff - I used to drink Imperial from the Co-Op many moons ago, because it was cheap but cheaper still because I worked there and got discount. Wouldn't touch it with a bargepole now however! xo

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  12. This is very cool, i also want to know if you can use normal plums as i have a plum tree in my garden ready to drop! Scarlett x

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  13. That's so funny. Our neighbours bring us over a basket of fruit from their garden each year and included are these babies. Only, we had no idea what they were until this post. Guess what we're making this year!!! (assuming we are blessed by them again this year). Thanks!

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  14. Ohh this is gooooood stuff. My Aunt makes something similar, I can't manage much of it but the little I do try I enjoy :-)

    Yours looks delicious!! (and I love the stack of books too) I could fancy a tipple now actually . . . odd for me but it's past midday so it's acceptable! :-D

    Jem xXx

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  15. I HAVE to try this. I love vodka, love plums and love cinnamon. I hate cloves but reckon I could deal with a hint to add depth and spice. Cardamom and cloves give me nightmares as I inadvertently ingested so many whole ones when I nannied for an Asian family. They burn on the way out!

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  16. Yum. We make sloe vodka (not gin as I'm not keen on it) in a similar way.

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  17. looks lovely, we foraged for these last year too, but we made a wild plum jam and the most delicious plum wine ever...lol.
    so if you find more I'd definitely recommend these, we haven't tried the vodka yet :D

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  18. Love those kind of plums. Looks like a great drink, I'm a huge fan of sloe gin. How cute are the Babushka dolls on the vodka label? Top marks to whatever supermarket for effort! xx

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  19. hick!

    gee I can almost taste that all the way down here!! yum♥

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  20. You got ID'ed ha ha! brilliant, you must look so young- lucky thing! i did have a mental image of you collecting the plums! xx

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  21. sounds good amor, can I use other kinds of fruits?

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  22. Awesome recipe! I think there is one of these trees opposite my house.. (I'd better check first otherwise I may poison myself!)

    La Dama... sloeberries work great with gin x

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  23. oh wow! plum vodka recipe! i need to spy my friends' garden if they grow any so i can raid it hehe...it's interesting to make a homemade vodka, my husband would enjoy that! i'll copy and paste the recipe for when i get the opportunity to make it! thanks lakota for sharing it! loveeee the photos of the plums!

    xx Susan

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  24. Thanks for sharing, I love the idea of making this as Christmas gifts (though no doubt I will want to keep some for myself as well!).

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  25. Using normal plums would be fine - see my edit at the end of the post - maybe just a bit less sugar. I make sloe gin as well, but you can really mix and match your fruits and spirits, and just play around with the sugar/fruit ratio. It would work with damsons, whatever. I think I might try blackberries when they're ready too.

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  26. Hi my dear-a wonderful recipe and I'm very tempted to try it, thanks for sharing xx

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  27. You can also put the plums in the freezer for 48 hours and this breaks down the skins so you don't even need to do the stabbing thing.

    And don't forget, when you drain off the liquid, the 'soused fruits' are fabulous warmed up and served with vanilla icecream [just watch out for stones!]

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  28. I'm going to have to try this but can't guarantee I'd save it for Xmas!
    How brilliant that you were ID'd! x

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  29. Sounds good to me.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  30. Sounds good! I found an absolute stash of the golden ones last summer in a park near my mum's house- we picked absolutely massives and they were delicious (i like them raw) as well as stacks of rosehips, blackberries and sloes! My mum makes sloe gin or vodka so I'll pass your excellent recipe along!

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  31. We have those plums growing in our lane - I think I shall be trying that :)

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  32. Plum wine, love the fact the main ingredient is free! Been a thrifty Miss myself, always gets my thumbs up. It be great to have a plum drink at Xmas- could you send out miniature bottles for a price?! Hehe only joking. Bx

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  33. This looks fabulous! The gin version sounds great too. I had to chuckle at you getting ID'd at the Coop- they are a very keen company! I thought it was bad that I was refused a lottery ticket there last week despite being almost 22 (and not youthful looking for my age!)...

    x

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  34. Oh yum! Lots of recipes for jams etc on the blogs at the mo but this is the first I've seen for vodka - brilliant! x

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  35. My mum makes sloe gin every year if there are enough to come by. It tastes amazing and has a great kick. It's the taste of Christmas (when she brings it out).

    Thanks for this recipe. Will look out for cherry plums x

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  36. With my frightening glut of plums in the garden this recipe couldn't have come at a better time - thanks for sharing it with us.

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  37. Yum! I love home made liqueurs! So much better, (and cheaper!) then shop bought. I think the Richmond pigeons and paraqueets have eaten all the fruit here . Will have to look out for plums at the market!

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  38. Oh my goodness this is an amazing idea. What a great Xmas present. I will most definitely be trying this. Thanks too for visiting my blog and for following me. I am now one of your followers; I love your blog, so glad you stopped by so that I found it! x

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  39. Great idea, I love flavoured vodka!

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  40. Oh.my.giddy.aunt!!!!

    What a fabulously wonderful idea. I Will have to try this, for blogging purposes you understand *cough*

    Thank you for linking up!!! *hic*

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  41. Sounds fab and would make great Christmas pressies!

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  42. I can't believe how early the damson's are ripening this year. The world's gone mad!

    Anyhow, sounds divine. Might make a nice change from my sloe gin :0)

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  43. What a creative idea! I myself don't have the patience for something that takes longer than a weekend from start to finish but I did do a shot of vodka right after I read your recipe. Close enuff?

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  44. You are so creative, this looks fab x

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  45. I am all over this like a rash! A friend of mine makes sloe gin every year and cracks it open at Christmas. After two glasses my lips stopped working, I sat grinning inanely until I keeled over sideways on the sofa. I'm rubbish at foraging but have no problem buying plums at the fruit shop to join in the fun! xx

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  46. Oh that sounds amazing! I have been meaning to try something like this for a while now. It's the next step in the domestic goddess process - I can make my own jam now too.

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  47. It's that time of year again - I've just pulled this recipe out of my favourites - wild cherry plums this years. Omnomnomnomnom... xxx

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