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Plums have until recently been an underestimated fruit as
imported plums have been flooding the market place.
However, the value of English plums is now being better
appreciated because they are so tasty; they can be picked closer
to near full ripeness when the full flavour has been allowed to
develop. Imported fruit has to be picked when hard before
flavour can develop so that the fruit reaches the shops without
going bad.
At Castle Fruit farm we grow a range of varieties so that we
can supply different plums from mid July through to mid
September. Our farm shop opens at the end of July for the
start of Opal and continues selling plums until mid September.
We sell in bags, punnets and trays.
The varieties we grow and the time of their availability are
shown below:-
| Plum variety |
Description |
Approx time of ripening |
| Herman |
Round, blue black, reasonable flavour.
Free stone. |
2nd week July |
| Opal |
Oval –oblong, reddish purple, pale gold
flesh, good flavour; almost free stone. |
Late July to early August |
| Reeves Seedling |
Very large, reddish purple, round,
juicy, yellow golden flesh, good flavour, free stone |
Early to mid August |
| Avalon |
Oval – oblong, reddish purple with
yellow golden juicy flesh. Beautiful flavour. Free to
partial cling stone |
Early to mid August |
| Victoria |
Medium to large, predominately red on
yellow background with golden yellow flesh. Free stone. |
mid Aug to early Sept |
| Valor |
Large (over 40mm), oblong – oval blue-
dark purple. Golden yellow flesh, juicy. Partial stone
free, delicious. Stews similar to a damson producing
rich dark red pulp |
Late Aug to early Sept |
| Marjorie Seedling |
Large, oval oblong, blue black. Greenish
yellow flesh, of fair dessert quality with cling stone.
Medium sweet |
Early to mid September |
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