Miniature plums

[sidkid]

There's a tree in a nearby hedgerow which has a bumper ripe crop of what look and taste like plums, but they are only about an inch long. My other half says they are damsons but I though plums and damsons were similar sized. Anybody any idea what they might be?
Thanks
SK

[Mr Veritas]

They are probably the fruit of the Sloe tree.see here:~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_spinosa

[sidkid]

Thanks Mr Veritas - but these fruits are more elongated than round - sort of aubergine shaped but in miniature...I'll try and post a photo

[masma]

Damsons are quite a lot smaller than plums as are sloes - both of these are quite sour too. There's a tree in a field near us that has small, sweet plums on though.

[vegasmad]

I saw some damsons in a farm shop recently and they were about the same size as large blueberries.

[LoftyLottie]

They are wild plums of one variety or another, of which damson is a particular variety. We have two of three wild plum trees and the fruits are so delicious.

[LoftyLottie]

About to say they are the same size as large cherries.

We pig out on them every year!! To me they have so much more flavour than the cultivated variety.

[Robinia]

There was a question similar to this recently & the fruit looked like cherry plums...must have been a good year for them :o)

[jno]

It' been a humungous year for plums

http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=4 9403

I've got hundreds more on my one tree than I can eat (alas they proceed through me too quickly for comfort).

[Robinia]

me too jno...(have to say when I saw you'd answered this I was half expecting a funny answer) ;o)

[jno]

alas, my tummy is not finding anything very funny about them at the moment. As many as possible are going into jam, chutney etc but I love them raw, drat it.

[Androcles]

Don't forget you can also ferment them if there is only so much jam, chutney, raw, you can eat.

Plum wine can be really good, made carefully!

[ethandron]

or make damson/plum/sloe liquour:
fill a large glass container with the fruit (an old sweet jar is ideal).
add 2lb sugar and enough gin to cover the fruit.
stir well and leave for a couple of weeks.
thereafter, add more sugar and stir again each week or so.
in a few months you'll have the most delicious liquour you ever tasted, and plenty of boozy fruit to have with cream/ice cream/custard.

[heathfield]

You can tell by the stone if they're plum family or not. Crack plumstones open and eat the seed inside - nice - (they're related to almonds).

[TerriPyeth]

sound like damson. same family as plums. damsons are delicious