Ahoy!

This is a liminal time where North Oakland plums have, more or less, come and gone, and apples, pears, figs, and other late summer fruit has yet to ripen.


If, however, you are in Temescal and have a fruit tree that could benefit from a harvest this morning, call me: 510 499 6315, okay?

I'd love to show an out-of-town visitor all that North Oakland has to offer in the way of late July fruit.

Sincerely,
Asiya

Your Expertise.

Sometimes I receive emails from enthusiastic readers who have questions that I cannot answer, i.e. questions that require the technical knowledge of a seasoned pruner, a jam maker with years of experience under his or her belt, or someone with vast knowledge of plant identification that exceeds my experience.

I am an ardent jam maker, an avid harvester and ever-committed to learning more about the various facets that encompass the Forage Oakland project; but, I am- by no means (!)- an expert in all these capacities. If you fancy yourself (or simply someone who can offer guidance in fielding questions in these fields) an expert in plant biology; pruning and general fruit tree maintenance; jam making; and other fields related to this project, send me an email! To be able to refer to someone with greater expertise when fielding technical questions would be quite useful.

The commitment will be minimal and hopefully you'll enjoy being a part of this project. Send an email to forageoakland@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Asiya

'Oakland-Meets-Almaty' Plum Jam Recipe

Almaty is the capital city of the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, where there is a rich history of fruit preserving. My neighbors, Zhanara (who hails from Kazakhstan) and Aaron have adapted a traditional Kazakh method of jam making for purpose of processing the prolific plums in their Temescal backyards.

Thanks to Aaron and Zhanara for this recipe, and tomorrow I'll post another recipe for Oakland plum jam (just for variety's sake).

And as Aaron says "The main idea is not to cook the fruit down, but to gently heat it in order to avoid scalding or caramelizing the sugars. The result is a jam brighter in color, fruitier in flavor, and more intensely sweet than I thought possible. I think its tastes are highlighted when you drizzle it over ice cream or fold it into plain yogurt."

"Oakland-meets-Almaty" Plum Jam

• Put a few pounds of rinsed plums in a big, heavy bottomed pot-- skins, pits, and all!
• Add enough sugar to cover the plums completely (Yes, really. Cover them. I had to ask Zhanara twice about this one to be sure she meant it.) Also, add a cup of water. If you have more than 5 lbs of fruit, add a little more water.
• Put the pot on the stove at very, very low heat. Stir with a big spoon a bit to make sure it all warms evenly. As the fruit, sugar, and water start to heat up, the plums will begin to swell a bit; the skins will start slipping off and smells will become decidedly exciting. These are all good signs.
• As time goes on, the plums will become increasingly damp and aromatic and the pits will begin to separate from the flesh of the fruit. Feel free to pick them out one-by-one with your spoon, or leave them in if you consider yourself possessed of a more rustic disposition. If you have a rustic disposition, be sure to warn your less rustic friends before they eat your jam and encounter any surprises.
• Keep stirring and be patient as the mixture continues to heat.
• As soon as the jam reaches a boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow it to cool completely (mine sat for a night or two while I scrambled around to get jars).
• Once the jam has cooled, check the texture. Your former plums should now be pleasantly jammy - albeit a little runny and intensely sweet by the standards of American commercial jams. Zhanara pointed out that this is more of a typical Kazakh style as far as jams are concerned. It reminded me of some Scandinavian jams, although those often tend to involve less sugar. Whatever the jam reminds you of, if it seems downright watery or otherwise unpalatable in its runniness, add a bit (~1-2 cups) more sugar.
• Return the jam to a low flame and bring it to boil very slowly, just as you did the first time. if you are satisfied with the texture, jar your jam following appropriate instructions. if you are not satisfied after the second boil, let it cool completely before boiling a third time. if you know the jam will be eaten soon, you might just pour the final product into a large receptacle, put a lid on it, and refrigerate.
  

Fruit preserves are often served in tea in Kazakh culture as well. As Zhanara notes "raspberry preserve cooked in this way is great to add to your tea when you're having a cold or flu. Raspberry preserve is known for its antiseptic qualities. If you take several cups of tea with a spoon of raspberry jam before you go to bed, your cold will be much better the next day."

Thank you, Neighbors.

Audio Library of Fruit Memories

Maybe you've heard of the StoryCorps project- perhaps you've spent lazy Sundays listening to vignettes featured on This American Life. If you're not familiar with StoryCorps, though, here's the description, taken from their website: "StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to our weekly broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition and on our Listen pages."

In the style of StoryCorps, I would like to create an audio library of Forage Oakland vignettes, short stories that chronicle either a specific backyard fruit memory or more broadly, a relationship over the course of residence at particular Oakland location. For example, was there an unforgettable day, three summers ago where you and a friend harvested abundant fruit from your backyard plum tree, and spent the afternoon pitting and halving plums in preparation for plum jam? How about recollecting the events of a late June evening spent harvesting firm, green walnuts, quartering them, and submerging them in vodka; lemon and orange zest; fresh cinnamon; an improbable amount of sugar; and other ingredients one needs for nocino? Or maybe you have a story about a particularly poignant experience sharing fruit with your neighbors. Or maybe your memory is as simple as happening upon, for the first time ever, elderberries in the Oakland Hills.

Maybe you've since moved away from this small paradise of abundant fruit, and in doing so, you've been a bit reflective, thinking about what it means to have such an enduring relationship with the fruit that you eat every day, and maybe there's no better time to share this memory while you are lamenting + celebrating your move.

Whatever you remember and care to share, share! The location is TBA, but will definitely happen over the course of the next few weeks. Stay tuned (and tell your friends, please!).

xx,
Asiya