How To Turn A Glut Of Summer Fruit Into A Delicious Jam Tart | Waste Not

We’ve sewage a huge, beautiful, red-leafed cherry plum character successful our backmost garden, and correct now it’s raining plums! Have you noticed nan sheer abundance of consequence this year? The branches are dense and nan crushed is scattered pinch fallen fruit. Last weekend, I harvested astir 10kg plums from our tree, and my girl suggested we make a jam tart. It turned retired to beryllium 1 of nan champion I’ve ever eaten, saccharine yet sharp, sticky and rich. A simple, seasonal treat.

Raining plum jam tart

From plum to pear, each consequence character I walk this twelvemonth seems to beryllium laden pinch fruit. This benignant of bumper harvest is known arsenic a mast year. Some consequence trees plaything people betwixt ray and dense harvests from twelvemonth to year, depending connected whether they’re focusing power connected maturation aliases fruiting, and it’s thought that this rhythm whitethorn beryllium an evolutionary maneuver to support seed dispersal. By producing a glut, much consequence is eaten and dispersed by animals. This look is simply a awesome measurement to move that glut – whether that’s a discounted punnet of berries, windfall apples aliases a container of scrumped plums – into thing to savour. Jams are 1 of nan simplest and astir delicious ways to sphere nan season. If you’re making your ain pastry, don’t hide to prevention immoderate scraps to weave a lattice topping aliases shape into biscuits. I for illustration to play excavation pinch a small oliva lipid and full spices earlier baking.

For nan jam
500g plums
250g unrefined sugar
½ unwaxed lemon, ideally organic, trim into 4 wedges
1 ample unsighted baked tart case, homemade (see beneath and method) aliases bought in
150g shortcrust pastry, for nan lattice topping (optional)

For nan pastry (optional)
300g wholemeal flour (eg, khorasan, emmer aliases spelt), positive other for dusting
150g acold butter, diced
A pinch of salt
3 mean eggs

Wash and chromatic nan plums, past put them successful a thick-based saucepan pinch nan sweetener and citrus wedges. Bring nan cookware to a boil connected a mean heat, past move down to a simmer (take attraction nan operation doesn’t boil over). After 20-30 minutes, erstwhile nan jam has started to trim and move heavy and sugary, return it disconnected nan power (if you person a thermometer, boil nan plum operation to 101C, to make a loose jam).

To make your ain wholemeal pastry case, successful a nutrient processor blend nan flour, acold diced food and a pinch of brackish for 30 seconds, until nan food is finely mixed into nan flour. Add 2 of nan eggs and 2 tablespoons of acold water, past beat for astir 30 seconds, until nan pastry comes together into a ball; adhd a touch much water, if request be.

Turn retired nan mixed connected to a lightly floured aboveground and knead very briefly, until evenly mixed. Shape into a heavy information disc, spot connected a plate, screen pinch an upturned vessel and chill successful nan fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, power nan oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Roll retired nan pastry connected a floured aboveground to nan thickness of a £1 coin, turning nan mixed arsenic you spell and dusting pinch much flour if it threatens to stick. Once nan pastry information is ample capable to statement nan guidelines and sides of your tart case, rotation it connected to nan pin and unroll it straight into nan case. Gently easiness nan pastry it into nan corners, past wrap nan overhanging pastry up and complete nan rim, pressing it against nan outer separator pinch a fork. Don’t interest if it cracks aliases immoderate holes appear: that’s a motion of a bully “short” pastry – simply capable immoderate gaps pinch leftover pastry aliases seal immoderate cracks by pressing it backmost together. Next, utilizing a serrated knife, trim nan excess from nan apical and stitchery nan offcuts into a ball. Chill and prevention for nan lattice.

Prick nan guidelines pinch a fork to extremity it puffing up, past cook for astir 18 minutes, until conscionable cooked and lightly browned. Meanwhile, make an ovum lavation by beating nan remaining ovum pinch 30ml water. Take nan baked lawsuit retired of nan oven, brushwood pinch nan ovum lavation (this will capable immoderate fork holes) and return to nan oven for different 5 minutes. Remove and time off to cool earlier filling (though if you want an other glazed tart, repetition nan glazing and baking for 5 minutes process erstwhile more).

Fill your homemade aliases bought successful pastry lawsuit pinch a 1cm furniture of nan plum jam. If you’ve made your ain pastry, rotation retired 150g excess pastry into a rectangle nan magnitude of nan wrong of nan case, trim into 1-1½cm-wide strips, past put successful a lattice connected apical of nan jam.

Bake successful a preheated 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 oven for 15 minutes, past region and brushwood nan lattice pinch an ovum lavation made from a small beverage aliases a beaten ovum thinned pinch a scatter of water. Bake for a last 5 minutes, until golden, past remove, time off to cool and bask pinch creme fraiche, yoghurt aliases vanilla crystal cream.