Gleeful gleaning

I have been at it again - gleaning fruit. On the way back from a trip to the 'Waste Recovery Centre' (such a polite phrase), I spied it  - a tree with yellow-orange fruit.  Hmm, ripe apricots I thought and we did a 'u-ee' and climbed the steep grassy slope between the tree and the roadside. There on the side of the road was not an apricot, but a lovely yellow plum. Again the hat was deployed as picking bag.

The fruit were tiny again, just like the last glean of plums. They were totally ripe and a wonderful combo of sweetness and tartness.  I picked only a small amount - the tree was quite small and this is enough anyway, leave some for others and the birds I say.

But what to make? - they needed to be cooked right away so ripe they were. I decided to stew them but, because they were so small, I decided to stew them right down into a purée.

Normally I like chunks in my stewed fruit but cooking it right down made it easier to remove the pips and the skins. I  now have about 3 cups of this golden essence of yellow plum now tucked away in the freezer for an upside-down pudding  for winter warming.

Now I know I should be very grateful for whatever fruit I find on my gleaning trips, but I am looking forward to finding an apricot or a nectarine soon -  I have to keep looking.