August 2008 - Due to an inconvenient frost at blossom time, or something like that, it's generally not been a good year for plums here - or so everybody tells me. However, there's always an exception - and I found it - a few wild plum trees in a hedgerow near my house, groaning under the weight of their own fruit.

What Are Wild Plums?

There are actually several different species that occur in the UK and could be called wild plums - Prunus domestica is the true wild plum (as well as the main ancestor of cultivated varieties), Prunus cerasifera is the Cherry Plum - with smaller, spherical red or yellow fruits, Prunus insititia is the Bullace - with small, blue-black fruits (but not to be mistaken for the sloe - Prunus spinosa.

Matters are not made less confusing by the promiscuity of species in this genus - so natural hybrids are also common - having characteristics typically intermediate of their parents. Also, escaped (feral) seedlings from cultivation are quite frequent.

Picking Wild Plums

The trees are often quite small, requiring no special effort to pick the fruit. Probably the biggest hazard is the risk of being stung by a wasp - if there are decaying fallen plums or any over-ripe ones on the branches, these insects will quite probably be present - and this is one of those occasions when they won't leave you alone if you ignore them - your mere presence in the vicinity is likely to be regarded a threat. So take care.

The best time for picking is when some of the fruits are already falling off the tree - and the best fruits are those that feel slightly soft or bouncy to the touch - although the harder ones may ripen after picking.

Culinary Qualities Of Wild Plums

Even when the flesh is ripe almost to the point of becoming liquid, the skin may still be found to taste extremely sour. This seems to be more often the case with thicker-skinned varieties, but it may vary quite considerably from one tree to the next - so if you have the luxury of the choice, it's worth tasting a fruit from each tree, then picking with discernment.

If you have no choice, and can only find wild plums which are intolerably acid, they can still be used for jam (just don't try using a low-sugar recipe), or for something where the acidity is desirable, such as chutney or ketchup - for further uses of this wild fruit, take a look at the next page