Damsons?? What to do?

Lotus-eater

Damson brandy, absolutely blow your socks off, much better than the gin.

thriftlady_2

I like to stew mine with sugar, then rub through a sieve and freeze the resulting puree. I stir it into yogurt or pour over ice cream or make damson fool.

Seakay

Pickled damsons:

3.5lb damsons
2 pints malt vinegar (or white distilled vinegar)
3 cups sugar (or fill measuring jug to 750ml)
0.5 oz cinnamon sticks, snapped in half (or thirds if very long)
6-8 cloves

wipe damsons and pierce all over with a fork. Place in a large bowl.

In an enameled or stainless steel pan, boil vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and cloves together, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over damsons and leave for 24 hours (I pour through a sieve and retain the spices).

Pour off the vinegar, add the spices, boil up and pour all the contents of the pan over the damsons. Leave another 24 hours.

On the third day, pour the contents of the boil into a pan and simmer all together for 15-20 minutes. Pack the damsons into jars, strain the liquid over them, cover using vinegar proof lids.

Ready to eat within a month, but improve with keeping.

Seakay

Damson Cheese: http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=45

This is a very good recipe, with some interesting comments and tips for storing and serving. I would just add that I have used straight sided pots, mini souffle dishes etc in conjunction with waxed discs and cellophane jam covers for storage, and not encountered problems. The first year I used the bottoms of plastic drinks bottles cut off "greased" with glycerine and again discs etc and noticed no problem with the taste, but this may be because I chose to store in small containers and eat ASAP once opened. I do usually grease any container with either almond oil (because it is tasteless) or glycerine.

implosion07

Thanks for all the recipes everyone - I'll make sure to try these out once I get the time!

lindab15

Hi,

For the last couple of years I've made variations on a recipe from a favourite River Cottage Year recipe book. Brilliant. Family look forward to getting their bottle !

Basically, you use about 500g of caster sugar to every 1kg of plums. Stick it all in a large heavy pan and put water in to about halfway up the plums. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, then simmer for while (recipe says 15-20 mins, I tend to do a bit longer) until the plums are tender. Let it cool a bit and strain off the liquid. For 500ml you'll then need 100ml of light (or I often use dark) soy sauce and 100ml of brown rice vinegar or cider vinegar (I use cider vinegar), some cloves of garlic and some fresh chillies (I use far more than the one or two that the recipe suggests) - finely chop and stick it all into the syrup. Boil hard for five minutes or so (careful of the vinegar fumes) and then whilst still quite hot pour through a funnel into sterilised bottles. Brilliant with chinese food, for dipping meat / prawns etc or just as a spicy cooking sauce or condiment.

You can then deal with the cooled plums to removes stones / skins etc, boil down to reduce a bit more into a pulpy compote to use as a fruit base for crumbles, or as a sort of runny jam, or just with custard / yoghurt as a dessert. I quite like a spoonful or three in a vanilla mullerlight (pretending to be good).

moanymoany

I adore damson cheese, though we eat it like jam. The flavour is so dense it is nicer than jam. Also, there are no hidden stoned to break teeth!

Take your damsons, with a little water - not much - simmer until soft. I picked out the stones and pushed it through a colander. When I was certain all the stones had gone I whizzed it with my hand held blender.

I weighed it and put pound for pound with granulated sugar. I melt the sugar into the fruit in a pan and then put the mix in a bowl, covered with a plastic lid, and ran on full for 10 minutes. I then tested it by putting a tiny bit on a plate, blew on it then pushed it to see if wrinkles form. If yes, it's done.

I made something similar yesterday. I've been collecting fruit from the allotment, raspberries, rhubarb, half an apple and blackberries and some sloes (1 lb) to give the pectin. Simmered it with a little water and then pushed it through a seive to get the pips and stones out. I made it in exactly the same way as the damson cheese. I boiled it in the microwave in 3 lots because I only fill it a third full as it boils over. This mix took 20 minutes as there is not as much pectin as damsons.

I microwave it as it doesn't burn. It is awful when your hard work goes down the swanee because it burns!

lucyc58

I bought a couple of punnets of Damsons at a village fete yesterday and havent got a clue what to do with them. I don't really want to make jam or chutney as we have loads of that from my mum. Does anyone have any other ideas for damsons? many thanks

Pink.

Hi Lucy,

There's an earlier thread with ideas for using damsons that should help so I've added your post to it to keep the suggestions together.

These threads may be useful too:

Damsons & Apples-What To Do With Them?

It's Damson time again

Damson Jam

Damson cheese recipe?

Pink

BramleyHouse

Hello!!

We have a massive damson tree and dont know what to do with them!!!!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Thanks!