The plums I tend to see the most in built-up areas are Victoria Plums, Bullace or Greengage – and often a subspecies that won’t fall neatly into any one category. In the more rural areas the plum that tends to dominate the hedgerow is the Damson – a purple fruit, often with a white bloom covering part of its surface. Now is the time to be patient! Ideally leave the jar in a safe place for 2-3 months for best results, but if you aretoo impatient then you should notice the flavours within the first 4-6 weeks.

So…..if you have a glut of plums….like vodka and have a spare five minutes, yes that is all, then try this: Homemade Plum Vodka recipe… At this time of year (if you’re reading it at the time of writing) you will be sure to notice that all around us there are wild fruits of various species beginning to hang heavy on fruit trees and bushes, as well as decorating most hedgerows in both urban and rural landscapes.

If you have added sugar you will need to gently shake the jar until in dissolves – maybe once a week or so, but try notto over shake the jar as it will damage the fruit and result in a cloudy drink.

If you’ve decided to include a little sugar, now is the time to add it, covering the plums before adding the liquid. Regardless of the exact type of plum you happen to find – once a positive ID has been established they can all be used in a similar way.