The fruit harvests have been coming thick and fast from the allotment this past month – it’s hard to keep up! Everything is at least a couple of weeks early this year and I have already harvested the dark purple plums that usually ripen in August.

I always freeze part of the berry and currant harvests to use over the year but I do like to make things with them fresh, savouring the tastes of the season.

I’ve made quite a few fruit fools.

We’ve had raspberries in pancakes and cupcakes (as well as just as they come).

I’ve got  red and black currant bushes on the allotment….

….and I mainly make cordial out of these (sometimes adding a few raspberries to the mix)

I don’t make jam from the raspberries as these freeze well but I always make jam from the plums.

I haven’t perfected the art of pouring the jam into jars (probably need a funnel) and things generally get a bit messy.

There are still some gooseberries to pick and then the greengages, victoria plums and finally the apples. So lots of fruity tastiness to look forward to.