They are Satsuma plums, Leanne. Rather on the sour side unless picked at the peak of ripeness. We chose it mainly for chutneys and sauces, and planted another blood-plum for eating and sweet cooking, but that died the first summer.
I had expected more fruit to ripen by now; I'm still getting small amounts every few days but the majority of the fruit is still firm and not quite ready to come off the tree. The clafoutis/flaugnarde is on hold. Yesterday, I picked a bowl full of the plums, some quite ripe and others still a little firm, sliced them up and baked them in their own juice with a generous sprinkling of slivered almonds, cinnamon and brown sugar. Wonderfully sweet-sour, with a baked custard.
If we get any rain. It was 80+ degrees this week, and no rain in sight. This is supposed to be winter.
We've had a cool summer so far. Tuesday, it went over 40 degrees, and then yesterday, in the mid 30s. But apart from that, mild. Weird. Good ripening weather for pinot noir, I suppose.
)
