Foraging Wild Plums and Turning Them into Delicious Homemade Fruit Leather

Plums are everywhere around here at the moment. It’s a pity that no one really cares to pick them and instead prefers to buy the ones sold in shops.

I set aside a little time to go picking nearby. Along the quiet country road, there are plenty of trees in assorted types, their branches covered with fruit.

And the ground was also draped with plums.

I found three types: I found three types: I think they are cherry plum, European plum, and sour plum.

European plum

Cherry plum

Sour plum

Surprisingly, they are all very sweet, even the sour plum, which is actually sweeter than the cherry plum.

I filled my basket to the brim! But still loads on the tree!

I took home 3 kilos and processed them immediately.

These are so exciting to work with; they remind me of gelatin pearls.

As I was preparing them, I couldn’t help shovelling a few into my mouth. Surprisingly, they are all very sweet!

I decided to turn them into fruit leather.

I always like preserving fruits raw. Since these were picked on the roadside (though not a busy one), I put them in a big glass jar and ozonate them first to remove any contaminants.

You can buy an ozonator online; they are said to be effective in getting rid of pesticides on non-organic fruits and vegetables. Ozone generators aren’t expensive, they last a long time, and they’re also useful for other things like disinfecting a room. I’ve had mine for 15 years.

Once cleaned, I put the plums in a pan with just a little water and steam them for a few minutes, just until the skins peel off.

Then I blend them. Yes, that’s the colour!

and strain out the seeds.

If preferred, you can add a bit of sugar to balance the sourness, but it isn’t really necessary. Then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per 3 cups of puree.

The puree should be thick so it doesn't seep out on the sides of the tray. You can simmer on low heat to reduce the water if it is too thin.

Here, I cut a few greasedproof paper to line the trays. l

I prefer to oil the paper, as the leather is much easier to peel off later, otherwise it sticks badly and hard to peel.

Spread the plum purée evenly onto the trays.

Place in the dehydrator @ 50–60°C (120–140°F) for 6 hours, or until dry. If using an oven, set it at the lowest temperature.

The thinner your layer, the quicker it will dry, and the top will be a little tacky but dry.

Once dried, peel off the paper.

Amazing how they turned to this!

Dust with icing sugar (optional).

Roll and tie.

Fruit leather is hygroscopic (meaning it draws in water from the environment).

To avoid it being sticky, put them in a tight jar immediately.

This is so easy and fun to make, and I kept the goodness of fresh plums.

I cut a few strips and enjoyed them.

They are rich in anthocyanins, vitamin k and some Vitamin C, potassium, fibre, high in fruit sugar and low in calories.

And delicious!

Have a lovely day, everyone,
Mariah 🍃😊💕