gauge tree

What is a gage tree?

Gages are a group of high quality plums which are very sweet and have soft juicy flesh. Many varieties originate from continental Europe and have the French name for gage Reine Claude in their name. A sweet fairly large attractive yellow gage. ... A good garden variety for most parts of the UK.

Can you eat greengage?

An under ripe greengage has the same tartness as rhubarb or gooseberry. But a perfectly ripe greengage is sweet and succulent. They are delicious eaten raw, and are often also cooked in desserts or savoury condiments. Greengages are widely-available at greengrocers and supermarkets when in season.

How do you identify a greengage tree?

Description. Greengage fruit are identified by their round-oval shape and smooth-textured, pale green flesh; they are on average smaller than round plums but larger than mirabelle plums (usually between 2 and 4 cm diameter).

Are greengage trees self fertile?

Your Old Green Gage gage tree is in flowering group 3. It is not self-fertile and needs a pollination partner of a different variety nearby. ... (European plums, gages, damsons, cherry plums, mirabelles, bullaces will usually cross-pollinate if their flowering times overlap).

How long does it take for a damson tree to grow?

Damsons are not difficult to grow. They will come true from a stone and will produce fruit within 15 years. Alternatively, you can buy a tree grafted on to a rootstock that will control the amount of growth.

What is the best tasting plum?

Santa Rosa

Though you may think of plums as an American or European fruit, Japanese plums are actually the most popular type in the United States, with Santa Rosas being the most prominent variety of them all. Be on the lookout for light red skin and red-hued flesh and expect a tart/sweet balance when you bite into it.

What does greengage taste like?

Description/Taste

The Greengage plum is deceptive in its looks, perhaps suggesting sour flavors with its unripe shades of mottled green and a taste similar to that of a tart granny smith apple. Rather, they have some of the highest sugar levels measurable, some reading almost 30 brix on the refractometer.

What do you do with a glut of Greengages?

Delicious ways to use Greengage Plums

Best way: Eat out of hand!
Slice and toss in a salad.
Make a chutney such as this Indian Plum Chutney .
Use instead of pears in this Pear Tart.
Make Greengage Plum and Vanilla Jam.

Can I freeze Greengages?

Freeze some fruits in sugar syrup

Apricots, damsons, greengages, plums, cooking apples and rhubarb are best frozen in sugar syrup with lemon to avoid discolouration. ... Frozen fruit will keep for at least 3 months in the freezer.

Why are Mirabelle plums banned in the US?

Mirabelle Plums

According to Bon Appetit, they're banned because true Mirabelles are grown only in Lorraine, France and import laws make them nearly impossible to procure in the United States.

What does a damson tree leaf look like?

Leaves are oval shaped, wrinkled and slightly downy underneath. They broaden slightly on the top half. Possible lookalikes Bullace, Blackthorn (sloes), Green Gage and Wild Plums could all be mistaken for Damson. Fortunately, all of the fruit of these is edible.

How do you eat Janerik?

Tangy and refreshing, these tart and crunchy plums are best eaten fresh, sometimes with a pinch of salt. For some, the sour flavor is a refreshing way to cleanse the palate after a heavy meal. For others, they can be eaten anytime. I like them alone or dipped in a bit of salt.

How big do damson trees grow?

Expect your damson to grow to around 10-15 feet (3-4.5m). Shropshire Prune (also known as Prune Damson) is one to choose for neat, compact growth, or you could look for a tree grown on Pixy rootstock to restrict growth to 8-10 feet (2.4-3m). Damsons are self-fertile, so you don't need to plant more than one.

What is the difference between a plum and a damson?

The difference between plums and damsons, by the way, is less to do with the taste and more with the shape: Plums are usually bigger than damsons and have a distinct longitudinal groove. Damsons also freeze well but plums not. Plum trees need large plant containers with a minimum volume of 25 litres.

What is a damson plum tree?

A small, vigorous, rugged, erect growing plum tree. White flowers are borne in umbrel-like clusters of 2-3 on short spurs, and solitary or 2-3 in axils on one year old wood. The later spring bloom time of the flowers makes them less frost prone. The foliage is dark green.

Can you eat Damsons straight from the tree?

It is technically possible to enjoy damsons straight off the tree, but only if you've found the right variety growing in a sunny spot so they're burstingly ripe – and that's a state that the local bird and wasp populations are unlikely to consent to.

Do damson trees fruit every year?

It flowers well and the tree looks fine each year; however, no fruit ever appears. Following the flowering, the tree looks a bit sad and the leaves curl in places but no sign of pests. My other plum trees in the garden (different types) do well for fruit each year.

Can you freeze Damsons straight from the tree?

Just freeze them as they come, I think they then almost last forever. I freeze them whole. When you defrost them the stones come out easily if you want to make crumbles etc and they break down quickly if you make jam, chutney etc.

What is the sweetest plum tree?

Mirabelle plums are the sweetest of all plum varieties. The small fruit with a slight reddish blush is popular for making eau-de-vie in France. Red plum varieties have bright red skin. Some, like the Santa Rosa, have amber flesh, while others, like Simcas, have bright red flesh that matches the skins.

What is the best plum tree to plant?

European-type plums include the prunes and damsons: "Italian" and "Stanley" are two of the most famous. They are usually self-pollinating, so you can get by with one tree in the yard. European-type plums are upright and can grow to be quite tall.

Are red or black plums sweeter?

The black plums are sweet fruits. Unlike the black plums, the red plums are sour sweet fruits. People prefer eating red and black plums fresh during summer and make them into prunes for use during the winter season. Black plums are normally used for making stewed prunes and also for stuffing pork or chicken.