Desperately seeking cherry plums (or similar)

[bgbc]

Anyone seen cherry plums at markets or in yards for foraging? Yes, :) I know they're not exactly a hot for-sale item, but I'm having a bunch of people over to make jam this weekend and foolishly assumed my own trees would produce around the same time this year as last. Any other high-pectin plum would be fine too. I haven't seen much in the way of plums in stores, at markets or even U-picks yet so realize this may be a long shot...

Thanks in advance

[RWCFoodie]

We have several large cherry plum trees in the common areas of our vacation place in the Santa Cruz mountains - typically they aren't ripe enough until July - then we're inundated and I'm probably the only person who takes the trouble to make jam with them! We love the sweet/tart flavor. My poor DH gets stuck with helping to pit them. I've tried making the jam and then straining the pits out but that's tedious too. It's just a little too early for plums in general I think...

[Tripeler]

My grandmother used to make plum jam every year, leaving in both pits and skins. Somehow it tempered the sweetness and made the jam taste richer and tangier. I wonder if you could try that with the cherry plums you have?

[bgbc]

Now I'm really ready for the plums to ripen! FWIW, I use a cherry pitter -- works well with the cherry plums.

[RWCFoodie]

My long suffering husband got the job of using the cherry pitter on 25+ lbs of the little buggers a few years ago... I think his thumb is finally better :-)

[bgbc]

Thanks all. I'll try all three suggestions and will check out North Berkeley FM tomorrow. By this time last year my cherry plums were virtually over...

[Junie D]

They are late this year. The plums on the tree in my backyard in Napa are hard and green. By June 2nd I have usually harvested my black currants but those are still green too. Berkeley Bowl?

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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703

[abstractpoet]

I saw a bin of fresh ume at Tokyo Fish Market. Don't know if that would do that trick.

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Tokyo Fish Market
1220 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706

[Robert Lauriston]

There were green Persian plums at the Berkeley farmers market on Saturday.

[bgbc]

BTW, found these at Lake Merritt farmers market Saturday and at Berkeley Bowl (Shattuck) Sunday. About $3.50/lb at each place. They were tarter and firmer at the farmers market stall.

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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703