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OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 11:41 am Post subject:
The easiest source of green gages will be the supermarkets, since the most ready supply comes from France (where they are called Reine Claude). Sainsbury's seem the most enterprising with plums, and should have some fairly soon. Obviously local would be better, but I think it is partly down to climate - gages need a bit more sun than ordinary plums.

chrissy

Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 238
Location: Pangbourne

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 1:53 pm Post subject:
We're lucky to have a bit greengage tree, but not so lucky isnasmuch as it's too big to net, so the wasps will get the lot. They do have a wonderful flavour and stay very green.

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 2:14 pm Post subject:
I bought some greengages in my local greengrocer today - yum! The only English plums they had were squishy and very resistable. As a teenager I loved the "mirabellen" that grew in my German friend's garden in Stuttgart - does anyone know if are they the same as greengages or something different? I'm sure they were smaller than the greengages you get here, but it was a long time ago .

OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 2:31 pm Post subject:

These are called Mirabelles in English, or cherry plums. They are related to plums but are a different species: prunus institia instead of our usual prunus domestica. They are part of the same group as damsons and bullaces. (Got this from the excellent Plums Directory by Martin Crawford).

The plums that are available year-round in supermarkets are also not the same species as our English plums, they are prunus salicina - popular with the supermarkets because they keep very well and can be transported without damage. Shame they taste like cardboard.

chrissy

Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 238
Location: Pangbourne

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 2:37 pm Post subject:
This is good for ID-ing varieties Marigold. There are several Mirabelle. https://www.webvalley.co.uk/brogdale/collectionplums.php

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 4:28 pm Post subject:
Thanks folks - maybe I'll plant one one day .

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45671
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Aug 06, 06 7:18 am Post subject:

orangepippin wrote:

The plums that are available year-round in supermarkets are also not the same species as our English plums, they are prunus salicina - popular with the supermarkets because they keep very well and can be transported without damage. Shame they taste like cardboard.

The next big thing moving on from those is the plumcot, a hybrid of those big round plums and the apricot, a spy tells me they're being grown commercially in Spain (ta Bugs

)

Mirabelles are extremely variable, tree to tree and season to season, my little bruvs garden has 2 trees in a good year they can be sweet and tasty but sometimes they're completely tasteless.

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Sun Aug 06, 06 8:12 pm Post subject:
We have greengages in the greengrocers shops round here (Derbyshire/Cheshire). The local shop has some for tasting as people often think they're unripe plums.

OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 06 7:01 am Post subject:
Do you know if they are locally grown or imported ?

Chick-pea

Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 148
Location: Cheshire, England

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 06 8:21 am Post subject:
Where are you, Hedgewitch? We're in Poynton which is in Cheshire, a kick of the bum from Derbyshire. But the border's fairly long isn't it? It's a lovely neck of the woods. I've never regretted moving here.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45671
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 06 9:41 am Post subject:

orangepippin wrote:

Do you know if they are locally grown or imported ?

Got to be French right now, even my way the gages are still hard.

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 06 1:58 pm Post subject:

Chick-pea wrote:

Where are you, Hedgewitch? We're in Poynton which is in Cheshire, a kick of the bum from Derbyshire. But the border's fairly long isn't it? It's a lovely neck of the woods. I've never regretted moving here.

I'm in the High Peak so not that far away... I first had greengages from Stockport market!

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 06 2:03 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

orangepippin wrote:

Do you know if they are locally grown or imported ?

Got to be French right now, even my way the gages are still hard.

I didn't check that, but probably not local. The 2 shops I use sell local produce for preference when available but do sell imported stuff too.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Tue Aug 22, 06 6:58 pm Post subject:
Bought a tree labelled Bird Cherry fifteen years ago and for the last two years its produced Greengages. We have a nice small crop on it this year which are not quite ready yet.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45671
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Aug 23, 06 9:40 am Post subject:
Well it's greengage season for sure now. Bought some Hubertus Sanctus in Waitrose the other day (from Tiptree) a nice dryish Belgian plum.

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