damsons

Ms_W

whilst out blackberry picking found a damson tree.how do you know when to pick them. tried one it was extremely sour. any help thank you

GSDMum

Funnily enough I've just found a tree with damsons on, but they're not quite ripe yet either.

As I wont be returning to this area again, I picked a couple of kilos. A Google search said to put the unripe damsons in a paper bag with a ripe banana. The banana will give off a chemical reaction and ripen the damsons.

Keep the bag out of strong sunshine, in a coolish part of a room.

I'm feeling confident of success

unrecordings

It's a bit of trial & error. I picked my first damson on 28th August last year, which was too early. I picked the rest on 8th Sept which was just right. This year I don't seem to have any though...

Ms_W

so what is a ripe damson like.... i'm thinking like a victoria plum??
and do you pick them like apples?

fatbelly

Ms_W wrote: »

so what is a ripe damson like.... i'm thinking like a victoria plum??
and do you pick them like apples?

I think so - like a Victoria plum but smaller and a bit sharper taste..

I can't find any wild ones where I live now but in the Bristol area there were quite a few that I used to keep an eye on.

unrecordings

fatbelly wrote: »

I think so - like a Victoria plum but smaller and a bit sharper taste..

I can't find any wild ones where I live now but in the Bristol area there were quite a few that I used to keep an eye on.

Yup, smaller and a bit more tart than a plum, you want to pick them not too firm - but depends on the variety probably. I grow Merryweather. Down in Bristol, they'll probably be very nearly ready

Davesnave

Not ready just yet in Devon, but not long before they will be. Plenty on our tree this year.

madjackslam

(Yorkshire) Managed to get a few pounds of ripe ones yesterday, but most are probably a week or two away. They don't ripen uniformly across our tree. When they do ripen they fall off. Also, when they are ripe, they seem to start leaking a sugary fluid that forms a crusty spiral on the surface (charming!). It doesn't seem to be a creature, unless it's a really tiny one.
Finally, is there more pectin in the unripe fruit? Therefore a few are useful to set it if you make it into jam.

silverwhistle

There's a damson tree on my new allotment. A few on it but as it hasn't been pruned or fed for ages the tree has loads of water shoots.


Next question: when do you prune them?!

Davesnave

silverwhistle wrote: »

Next question: when do you prune them?!

Now. Like all plums, you want dry, warm weather to limit the possibility of disease ingress through the cut wood.

unrecordings

Just thought I'd update this thread. Of the two damsons on the tree this year (last year it was 40+) I found one on the ground a couple of days ago
Perfectly ripe & barely damaged (magpies). I picked the remaining one but I'll leave it for a few more days, it didn't look quite so ripe