Removing stones from Damsons

shykins

i read yesterday that the jam (or whatever u are using them for) has a fuller flavour if u leave the stones and skins on then fish them out at the end, dont know if thats true but as i am too lazy to stone etc thats what i did

its great when u read something that backs up being lazy isnt it lol

rustyjemma

Split in half & check carefully for maggots.
You end up with floating corpses otherwise:eek:

(Voice of experience talking on that one - im cringing now!:eek: we used a cherry stoner)

Gothdolly

Brilliant discovery!

I'd only stone them if I was making the jam for somebody else. I left the stones in my jam just like my Nana used to (my jam tasted just like hers too) which made me very happy as I loved her damson jam, anything shop bought was never anywhere near as nice.

I like the idea of a other uses for gadgets thread too.

Olliebeak

thriftlady wrote: »

I think Ollie's referring to me and BuxtonRabbit:)........

- yup

frankie1star

If you have a traditional style garlic press, where the two arms are, there is a prong that is also a stone, put the cherry/damson/olive in the mount close the arms together and prong pushes out the stone, bit like this one
http://www.aceros-de-hispania.com/image/kitchen-accessory-3claveles/garlic-press-3claveles.jpg

hardpressed

But if you take the stones out when making a pie you can't play 'tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor'.

PollyFlinders_3

Top tip from my mum's 30 year old damson jam recipe. If you boil the damsons up and then add sugar, the sugar will make all the stones rise to the top so you can skim them off with a slotted spoon (have to be quick though).

Added bonus is you get to suck the juice and stuck on pulp off the warm stones which is about as close to heaven as one can get (I live a very little life!!)

franziska

I have been trying for years to find a way around damson stoning, which drives me nuts and kills hours of my life! I have many gadg:ets and machines for other fruits, but this one has evaded my mastery. NOT ANY MORE! thankyou - my cakes will be all the better! :A

adsk wrote: »

I know there are already threads on Damsons but this discovery deserves a thread of its own - I'm SO excited! :j

There are currently 3 schools of thought regarding Damson stones

1. Life is too short to remove a stone from a Damson - let the diner spit them out while eating.
2. Skim them off the cooked Damsons
3. Cut through the middle of the Damson with a sharp knife and twist the 2 halves of the Damson apart.

Until 1/2 hour ago I was a member of school 3. I was promised a big bag of Damsons from a work colleague who has a glut in her garden this year. While doing a little research online for recipes I came across a posting (can't remember the website) from someone who suggested a cherry or olive stoner. Well, I have a cherry stoner (one of many kitchen gadgets). It is AMAZING. Put the Damson in the stoner upright, press the handle, stone gone. It's better than Method 3 because the Damson remains whole, it's much quicker, its foolproof, it's fantastic.

I don't know if anyone else reading this will share my excitement of finding an easy way of stoning a Damson but as a member of this forum for several years I know there will be a number of you who will get really excited when you try it too.

If you are thinking that having a cherry stoner is a luxury, well now it's a cherry and damson stoner!

u751904

My mom has given me a big bag of damsons. They seem to be quite small this year. I am thinking of making a fruit chutney. However I don't have a stoner.... I've tried getting the stones out with a sharp knife but not very good so far, leave more flesh on the stone than I manage to get off. My OH suggested just boiling the fruit up with the stones in. I doubt very much I'll manage to get the stones out before putting into jars..

I am not sure about this working that well. Any thoughts or suggestions please? thank you

CH27

I de stone plums by gripping the plum stone with a pair of scissors & twisting the fruit of.
Sounds daft but works really well.