wild plum processing - Squeez-o? [Nope!]

Oh boy. So. Many. Plums.

I've labored over these things more than I'd like in past years. I have a Squeez-o but haven't tried it with plums...does it work? I thought it might be worth a try with the pumpkin screen but it's a lot to set up and clean up if it doesn't work. (I'm thinking the pits may block the hole).  

Who's got experience?

I didn't know what a Squeez-o so I google it.

While I have not used that I see no reason why it would not work.

Please let the forum know how this turns out.

It is my hope that others with experience will speak up/

Thanks, I hope someone has some experience to share too. The pits may block up the straining mechanism. Or something else could go awry!

I’ve always just steamed them until  soft, let cool and fish out the pits with fingers.  If you are just making jelly, pour it all into a jelly bag and squeeze.  You will lose the pulp that way but you get excellent juice.  

Thanks, Faye. That's how I've done it in the past and it's so dreadfully slow and some pits always get left in.  I thought I'd see if anyone had experience with the squeez-o. I don't make jelly but would like the pulp for a myriad of products.

M Waisman wrote:Oh boy. So. Many. Plums.

I've labored over these things more than I'd like in past years. I have a Squeez-o but haven't tried it with plums...does it work? I thought it might be worth a try with the pumpkin screen but it's a lot to set up and clean up if it doesn't work. (I'm thinking the pits may block the hole).  

Who's got experience?

Have used ours with muscadines in the past...first steamed/lightly simmered? them then ran through the squeezo...I remember it working really well...the plums have a larger pit though I guess?

Persimmons were one big mess and that was how we found we prefered to dehydrate them whole

Wish I had those muscadines near by again and some wild plums.

I have always had more luck with an old pillowcase (for wine or jelly) or a traditional food mill.   By "traditional" I mean the ones with either a pointed bottom (chinois style) and pestle or a fan-shaped blade that pushes the pulp down as you crank the handle.

I have never used a "squeezo" but I have definitely clogged the kitchenAid attachment mill via too many seeds from apples or plums.

Good luck!!

Not having any responses of folks who tried little plums in a squeezo, I did...and it's a hard no. The pits are too big to go through the auger and out the end.

...but today I discovered a very fast way to process! I had always boiled them in a little water and picked through to get the pits, really not liking that inefficient process,  but it worked MUCH better to roast them at 350 for 20 minutes. Once cooled a little the pits squirted right out as though they were freestones. I prefer to use the skins (I like the tannins!) so I'll probably keep doing this technique. Plum jam, plum ketchup, plum leather! One 9x13 pan gave me 3 cups of pulp.  The pits will get soaked in alcohol for a delicious extract.

M Waisman wrote:  The pits will get soaked in alcohol for a delicious extract.

What does that taste like?  Is it plum-y or more like how peaches' pits make amaretto?

The latter. It tastes a little fruitier with raw and nuttier when dried or toasted. Good stuff.

This is all really helpful information.  I planted a plum tree last year, but it died.  The company will be sending me another this spring.  Hopefully, it will do better!  My plan was to dry them, but the suggestions here sound great, too.  Good to know about the Squeezo.  I was going to be ordering the pumpkin screen for some medlars, but the S&H was as much as the screen, so I haven't followed through with that. I was also hoping to use it with paw paws, but now I'm wondering if those seeds are too big.  When the trees start producing some fruit, I'll have to size the seeds next to the end of the auger...

I'd say paw paw seeds are definitely too soft (mine are too big also) to put through the mill. They'd have to be skinned too.

Good to know.  It'll save me some money, too!  I was planning on scooping out the flesh like you do with an avocado, but I wondered if the seeds were too soft.  It's been so long since I've had a paw paw that I couldn't be sure.  I guess it will be a good problem to have if I have so many I don't know what to do with them all.  My plan is to freeze the pulp.  I'll just have to spend a little longer digging out the seeds.  Hopefully, the varieties I have won't have too many. I've read that you don't want to dehydrate them which is fine.