Plums, plums and more plums

There are many  types of plums which can be found in a  variety of colours and sizes. The most common plums are: the Damson or Damask Plum (oval shaped with yellow-green flesh, and dark blue to indigo skin, Mirabelle (small, oval shaped, smooth-textured flesh, and flecked dark yellow colour), Greengage (firm, green to yellow skin and flesh even when ripe), Golden or yellowgage plum (similar to the greengage, but yellow in colour) and the Satsuma plum (firm red flesh with a red skin).

Its almost the end of plum season so here are a few ideas to use up the fruit. This great list was sent to me by Sophie in the UK - thanks Soph! I liked the sauce idea best - but they are all great ways to use plums

Poached with vanilla

Put 225ml of water in a pan with 200g sugar and a vanilla pod, and bring to the boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add about 10 stoned and quartered plums and simmer for about five minutes until soft. Cool and serve with vanilla yoghurt.

A sauce for roast pork
Heat 1 tbs vegetable oil in a pan and sauté a chopped shallot with some chopped ginger. Add a sprinkling of cumin and ground coriander, 6 chopped plums, 2 tbsp of cider vinegar, 4 tbsp of sugar and a splash of soy sauce and simmer until thick.

Baked with Amaretto
Halve and stone 10 plums and lay cut side up in an ovenproof dish. Mix some crushed Amaretti biscuits with a little Amaretto liqueur. Spoon into the hollow of each plum and bake in the oven at 200C/gas 6 for about 15 minutes until tender.

A spicy relish for cheese
Chop 500g plums and 500g apples, and place in a pan with a chopped onion, a wedge of chopped ginger, a chopped chilli, 250ml cider vinegar, 225g sugar and 75g raisins. Simmer for about 40 minutes until thick, then pot in sterilised jars.

Quick Plum pie
Pile halved stoned plums into a pie dish and sprinkle with sugar. Cover with shortcrust pastry and press on to the rim of the dish. Make a hole in the centre. Brush with more milk, sprinkle with sugar and bake at 200C/gas 6 for about 40-45 minutes.