Rain of Plums & Pears

Our plum trees have been pouring plums on us in the last few days. The moment we have finished picking the ones fallen down, the next ones are dropping. The squirrels feast on them and so do we. The trees are a little late this year to offer their bounty. Like all the years before, they have a wonderful flavor. We can’t eat them all, but figured out a great way to use them – as Christmas gifts!

We dry them in a dehydrator and store them. When December comes we make little packages for family. They have been so well received in the last few years, that if for some reason we do not have enough for everyone or they arrive late, we might hear about it. We also have have been drying pears. We have even more pears than plums! Literally a few hundred of pounds.

This year we are trying the first time to put them in the freezer and see how that works out. If this is going well, we will have a good supply during the winter time. Last years dried plums lasted until a few weeks ago and we still have some dried pears from last year.

We love eating fruits every day. They healthy, taste wonderful, are easy to prepare and we can grow plenty of them in a fairly small space. Depending on the preservation method we can enjoy them for a long time after harvest. Besides maybe pruning and harvesting, there is not much more work involved for our established trees. With the bounty they give us we can give them to neighbors and friends. They love it and we make strengthen our community connections. Overall a good piece in living a green thriving life!