I can’t recall eating just the flesh. It is full cling stone and the skin clings, flesh not very meaty, at least not when ripe.
Do you peel them?
I haven’t had a Santa Rosa that I’ve liked, but haven’t had a tree ripened on in California. I don’t like to eat Beauty either, but my mom’s friends rave about it (from the same tree). It’s like we’re eating different fruits.
I take a bite, then tighten my grip so the skin is pulled back exposing the flesh. Janet loves the flavor of the skin.
In the Bay Area, I was renting a house with a mature Santa Rosa tree, I harvested most of the fruit and gave them away. So this time I have 4x1 tree, Santa Rosa is one of them, I have fewer Santa Rosa plums, but they are not as watery as the one I had in the Bay Area. We’re more dryer here in SoCal. But the plums I get here in my yard is 100% better than store bought. However, the ones that are sold at the farmers market are very good, they are growing them in Bakersfield, which is very hot.
I have eaten a lot of Santa Rosa plums grown in the bay area. They are incredibly good!
Beauty is probably my least favorite variety of plum.
Yeah, Beauty is not good for fresh eating to my palate. I just had one my mom brought over. Super sour skin, mealy and yes, bland flesh. Except near the pit, the flesh is sour.
I wasn’t planning to grow it at my new place, but I changed my mind and put it on the rootstock of a Yakima or Jefferson that died.
It’s a heavy and reliable producer and makes great jam. I want to try juicing it, because I suspect that the same things that make it good for jam, would make good syrup for soda.
I agree. Santa Rosa is one of the best early plums and it grows very well in Bay Area. Of course, like any stone fruit, it needs to be thinned, grown in water deficit and allowed to ripen well. This year I tasted Naidyonisch, Dapple Supreme, Lavina, Shiro, Santa Rosa, Emerald Drop and Satsuma so far. Santa Rosa is just behind ED and is the best one for early season. I like them very ripe, texture between a regular plum and an astringent persimmon.
Santa Rosa is just plain sweet to me. Now a well ripened Weeping Santa Rosa is on a different level, similar to a Flavor King!
Interesting, Shiro is earlier than Santa Rosa here. But I think it’s been drier recently than when I had a Santa Rosa tree in my backyard, that was back in 1992.
Are you sure you tasted the right Santa Rosa? I never heard anyone saying it is plain sweet. Some don’t like the tart skin or near the pit which I can see why. I should also admit, I only tried weeping Santa Rosa once. To my taste buds, the difference between that and the non-weeping one was very subtle.
I got the variety from a CRFG scion exchange. Skin was tart and flesh was sweet but no other flavor. WSR has complex flavors like Flavor King. BTW, it took 2 years for WSR to start tasting like this. Year 1 was pretty ordinary.
You are so right! I was assuming we had no plums . . . and BAM! There they were - out of hiding!
I’m still not sure if I will appreciate a “good” Santa Rosa. I don’t like plum texture to be anything like an astringent persimmon. I like meaty plums, which make European plums and pluots attractive to me.
I can understand that too. At the crunchy/meaty stage Santa Rosa is too sour. That’s why my wife prefers Satsuma to SR. Pluots do develop enough sugar and flavor while still crisp. However, I’m surprised you included European plums in that list. I can see prune plums being meaty, but aren’t gages and mirabelles quite soft at their peak ripeness?
At this location, when Beauty is dark red but still firm it is quite sour.
Yes, gages do get soft, although in good conditions its more of a jelly soft, than the stringy bag of many Japanese plums.
My mirabelles get into the high 20s in brix while still firm and freestone, can pull them apart like an apricot. I open each one before eating to make sure there are no surprises inside. I don’t spray for insects.
I don’t mind soft, but don’t like soupy, runny or stringy.
I don’t know what stringy means here, but Japanese plums have different textures. Santa Rosa needs to be soft to get to peak flavor, but Satsuma is very meaty. Emerald Beaut can be enjoyed while crisp or get more sweeter when soft.
I should try more mirabelles this season. The ones I tried last time (not from my tree) were disappointing last year but they were likely picked early.
I wish I can grow mirabelle here. I have Emerald Beauty, it had one flower this season. Not sure I will see any fruit either.
It took a few days, but I’ve finished pruning this tree for the season. Here are before and after pictures:
Will it fruit this spring? It looks like all the fruiting wood is gone, was that intentional?
