Why? Because you can! And pickle, and jam, or otherwise celebrate the resurgence of the domestic arts our forebears held so dear. Put on your best apron and step into our kitchen, won't you?
Old-school style beach plum jelly is made without any added pectin. When gathering them in the wild make sure to include some under-ripe berries. A long simmer makes for a good strong set. It's a sticky jelly with a good puckery punch.
If you like jams with a good punch of tartness, this is the jam for you. Made with foraged beach plums, but can be made with just about any tart plums.
Sour cherries meet their soul mates, tart beach plums. The beach plum jelly base thinkens the cherry jam. The cherries are left whole for a delux presentation. Low sugar pectin keeps things from getting too tame. It's good.
There can't be beach plums in Oregon because otherwise there'd already be an episode of Portlandia dedicated to cult of Beach Plum Jelly: foraged locally, strictly seasonal, old-timey recipe for an odd yet nonthreatening jelly, now with reduced sugar
Wild beach plums are a seasonal treat. Back in the day picking the fruit and making jelly was very popular. Nowadays, the focus on the fast fabulousity of East Hampton means all the more plums for us!