We had walked past that plum tree more times than I could count.

It stood along one of the nature trails where Steve, Ihana and I often walk, familiar enough that we hardly gave it much thought. In years past, we had noticed an occasional plum hanging high above our heads—just enough to pick one or two for a little treat along the way.

This year, the tree demanded our attention. It was absolutely loaded.

Golden plums hung among the leaves, warm from the summer sun, and each day as we passed we would pick a couple that were perfectly ripe and eat them as we walked. Sweet, tart and wonderfully juicy, they became one of those little pleasures we started looking forward to.

But as more of the fruit ripened, we began noticing something else. Plums were falling to the ground. Lots of them.

And strangely, nobody seemed to be picking them. Even the local wildlife wasn’t making much of a dent in the abundance. Perfect little golden plums were simply dropping into the grass and brush beneath the tree. Eventually we couldn’t stand watching all that beautiful fruit go to waste.

We brought a tote bag …

One morning we headed out for our walk with an empty tote bag.

We picked only the ripe fruit we could easily reach, filling the basket with enough plums to take home and freeze for something special later. Then we did it again. And again.

Three walks and three bags filled later, we had gathered quite a harvest—and there were still plenty of plums left hanging on the tree for other walkers, birds and whatever four-legged neighbors might eventually discover them.

Ihana, naturally, appointed herself Chief Plum Finder. Whenever a loose plum escaped our fingers and bounced into the brush, she would hurry over and point out exactly where it had landed. Whether this was an official Finnish Lapphund job before that day is debatable, but she took her new responsibility very seriously.

Take What You Need. Leave What You Don’t.

There is something deeply satisfying about foraging responsibly. Not stripping a tree because something is free. Not gathering more than you can use. Just taking your share of an unexpected abundance and leaving plenty behind.

The setting made our little harvest feel even more special. As we approached the tree, osprey and herons greeted us from the marsh along the trail’s edge. We picked plums beneath the summer leaves while the familiar life of the wetlands carried on around us.

Of all the people who passed, only one young woman stopped to ask what we were doing. We offered her a few of the sun-warmed plums we’d just picked. She was delighted.

She told us she’d never eaten a plum before—let alone a tiny wild golden one—and promptly bit into one with great enthusiasm. I managed to warn her that there was a little pit inside. She loved them.

For just a moment, our discovery became hers too. And somehow that seemed exactly right.

From the Trail to the Kitchen

This chutney sings with meats cheese and dried fruit plates

I washed our harvest and froze the plums whole as we collected them, figuring I would decide what to do with them later.

In retrospect, pitting them before freezing would have been the sensible thing to do. But sensible and having enough time that particular day are not always the same thing.

So when chutney day finally arrived, all those frozen golden globes went straight into my big slow cooker. I let them cook gently on low until they had completely softened and collapsed. At that point, the pits practically fell away from the fruit.

I strained everything, leaving me with a beautiful, silky golden plum purée ready for experimenting …And experiment I did.

Fresh ginger, a little orange, sugar and tiny Thai chiles transformed those sweet-tart plums into something surprisingly reminiscent of tamarind chutney—fruity and tangy, with warmth from the ginger and a little spark of heat at the end.

It was not at all what I had imagined making when we first started plucking a plum or two from that tree on our walks. Which may be why I like it so much.

Good Food Lives Everywhere

We tend to think of food adventures as something that happens somewhere else.

A market in another country. A roadside stand on vacation. A little restaurant discovered down an unfamiliar street. But this adventure was a lone plum tree beside a marsh in Portland.

An empty tote bag carried on our usual morning walk. A handful of sun-warmed fruit shared with a stranger. Ihana happily searching the brush for runaway plums.

Sometimes the best thing you bring home from a journey is waiting just down the trail.

SAVOR THE JOURNEY Sandra, Steve and Ihana

GOLDEN PLUM CHUTNEY

Tamarind-style • Sweet, tart & spicy • Freezer recipe. Perfect for serving with cured meats, cheeses nuts and a great baguette. Also wonderful as a glaze for roasts fish and chicken

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Prep Time 15

Total Time 1

Course Condiment

Cuisine Pacific Northwest Inspired

Ingredients

7½ cups golden plum purée
3 cups granulated sugar plus more to taste if needed
2 –4 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger to taste
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
3 small Thai chiles finely chopped, or to taste
Instant/no-cook pectin according to package directions for the amount of prepared fruit

Instructions

Make the Plum Purée

Pit the golden plums and place them in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and juicy.
Blend directly in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Measure 7½ cups of purée.
OR, for whole or previously frozen plums: Place the plums in a large pot or slow cooker and cook gently until completely soft and the pits release easily. Pass the cooked fruit through a strainer to remove the pits and skins as desired. Measure 7½ cups of the strained purée.

Make the Chutney

Return the plum purée to the pot. Add the sugar, ginger, orange juice concentrate and Thai chiles.
Cook gently, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the flavors have melded. Taste and adjust the sugar, ginger or chile to your liking. The finished chutney should be tart, fruity, gingery and sweet-hot—reminiscent of tamarind chutney rather than traditional plum jam.
Remove from the heat and cool as directed for the brand of instant/no-cook pectin you are using. Add the pectin according to its package directions. Pectin brands vary, so use the manufacturer’s recommended amount and method rather than substituting an amount from another brand.
Spoon into clean freezer-safe containers, leaving about ½ inch headspace. Refrigerate until completely chilled, then freeze.

Notes

Try another fruit: This recipe doesn’t have to stop with golden plums. Yellow plums, red plums, nectarines, peaches or apricots would all be delicious with the ginger-orange-chile combination. Because fruits differ in sweetness, acidity and natural pectin, adjust the sugar to taste and always follow the directions for your particular instant pectin when changing fruits.

Turn the heat up or down: For a gentler chutney, start with 1 Thai chile or omit the chile entirely for a sweet ginger-plum preserve. For medium heat, use 2–3. If you love heat, add another chile or two. Removing the seeds and inner membranes will also soften the heat.

Play with the spice: Fresh ginger gives this chutney much of its character, but there is plenty of room to experiment. Try a small amount of ground coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon or garam masala for a warmer, more aromatic chutney. Start lightly—you can always add more.

For an especially bright version, add a little fresh orange zest. If you prefer the plum flavor to take center stage, reduce the ginger and leave out the Thai chile altogether.

Serving suggestions: This is wonderful anywhere you would serve a fruit chutney or savory preserve. Spoon it alongside cured meats, salami or prosciutto, or add it to a cheese and charcuterie board with aged cheddar, Brie, chèvre or a nutty Alpine-style cheese. Add dried apricots or dates, toasted walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, and plenty of crusty French baguette.

It’s also delicious with roasted pork, chicken or turkey; spread onto a sandwich with cheese and cured meat; tucked into a grilled cheese; or spooned over warm Brie or goat cheese.

FROM THE TRAIL: Our golden plums were gathered over several walks along a favorite Portland nature trail, taking only what we could use and leaving plenty behind for other walkers and wildlife. What began as a few sun-warmed plums eaten along the trail became three baskets, a freezer full of fruit—and this sweet, tart and spicy chutney.