Damsons - not quite ripe ideas please

jennybb

Can I do anything with them?

Thanks

jennybb

anyone???

Thanks;)

WeirdoMagnet

I think you can put sloes in in the fridge/freezer to simulate a frost, and that will speed up the ripening process, so that might work for damsons too, but if they're really unripe, not sure what you can do.

Debt_Free_Chick

Georgina wrote:

I think you can put sloes in in the fridge/freezer to simulate a frost, and that will speed up the ripening process, so that might work for damsons too, but if they're really unripe, not sure what you can do.

I don't think that the freezing of sloes speeds up the ripening process. Sloes are quite thick skinned and freezing them helps to break the skins and release the juice. If you don't freeze sloes, you need to !!!!! the skins to release the juice into the gin (or vodka!)

Fruit needs sun (and time) to ripen them, so I can't see that freezing does anything at all. It will certainly break down the fibre of the fruit a little and make them mushy.

Just wondered why you picked or bought damsons that weren't ripe They will be tart & sharp and have a less fruity flavour.

You could try a "pickled, spiced" damson-type chutney

Ted_Hutchinson

If you keep picked plums/damsons at room temperature they will ripen in a week or two. (maybe even quicker if kept in a paper bag with a banana).

If you have overripe plums then putting them in the fridge should slow further ripening until you have time to deal with them.

WeirdoMagnet

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

I don't think that the freezing of sloes speeds up the ripening process. Sloes are quite thick skinned and freezing them helps to break the skins and release the juice. If you don't freeze sloes, you need to !!!!! the skins to release the juice into the gin (or vodka!)

Fruit needs sun (and time) to ripen them, so I can't see that freezing does anything at all. It will certainly break down the fibre of the fruit a little and make them mushy.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that freezing the sloes makes them sweeter. I'll have to have another search for it. I think it had something to do with the advice that you should only pick sloes after the first frost, and that by freezing them you were simulating the 'first frost'.