Stalking the Wild Plum in Northern California - Gardenista
One day while hiking in a wooded area, I noticed little red fruits scattered on the ground. They were the size of cherries, but it was too late in the summer for cherry season. The yellow flesh had a bright, semi-sweet flavor—these were wild plums, and I was in a forest of them! Photographs by Marla Aufmuth, for Gardenista. It is believed that there are more than 15 varieties of wild plums in the United States. Since my first sighting, I’ve started spotting them all over my Northern California town as well. These are about the size of cherries, but with yellow flesh and a flavor that’s both tart and sweet. I don’t enter private property to forage, but rather pick fruit that’s accessible from the street. For cleaning these small plums, a cherry pitter comes in handy. Once pitted, you can make pies, sauces, jams, and chutneys. For a quick and easy chutney, stew pitted plums with fresh ginger, cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon, and honey. If you plan to use the chutney right away, you don’t need to give the jars a water bath to seal them.