Boil it all up and stir. Ideally you want to end up with stone-free jam but it’s a good idea to give it away with a warning, just in case! Leave to stand a while then pot up. Page 1 of 1: I have overboiled the damson jam this year. This damson jam recipe also includes tips for removing the stones. An alternative method is to freeze the damsons. I then get my hands in to feel for any remaining. Until 1/2 hour ago I was a member of school 3. Boil for 10 – 15 minutes until your jam starts to set – a jam thermometer is a good investment you then know that your jam is hot eneough. Damsons, like plums, have a stone. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Many people have never tasted this relative of the plum, and so don’t know what they are missing. Probably being too diligent about removing the stones while it was boiling. I once counted the stones from a kilo of damsons, there were over 100, picking out those by hand is … We use the simple recipe of 4 lbs of damsons to 4 lbs of sugar and a 1/4 pint of water. The sloe is Prunus spinosa and all the rest are varieties of Prunus domestica ssp insititia (like dogs are all varieties of Canis lupus familiaris). https://www.allotment-garden.org/recipe/143/damson-jam-recipe Next up was the jam. Damson jam. You don't need any special ingredients, or special utensils. For our damson and plum jam recipe you will need:-1kg Damsons; 2.2kg Plums; 1 Pint Of Water; 1kg Sugar; A Large Maslin or Jam Pan ; Firstly wash the fruit and remove all remaining stalks and leaves. These have to be the most rocking of fruit with their ‘Deep Purple’ colour and perfect blend of fruitiness and tartness. DAMSON STONES Damsons are clingstone fruit, with flesh that clings to the stone making them hard to remove. Mix with the plum jam and set aside. There are currently 3 schools of thought regarding Damson stones 1. Wash and dry the damson plums. Separate two eggs and let the egg whites chill in the fridge. Simmer the jam until the mixture has reduced by about half. Wash and clean your damsons. In a medium sized bowl mix the flour with baking powder and ground hazelnuts. These have to be removed, and there are two possible ways. Grind 100g/3½oz toasted hazelnuts in a food processor, … Wash your jars and lids in hot, soapy water, rinse, then place on a baking tray and put in a oven at low temperature for 10 mins or until completely dry. It is perfect for beginners because it will set without fail. I appreciate not … I appreciate not the usual method, however if the holes are large eneough you get all of the pulp and the juice just none of the stones or the skin. We use the simple recipe of 4 lbs of damsons to 4 lbs of sugar and a 1/4 pint of water. Damson jam is probably the tastiest fruit jam out. Using your Maslin pan if you have one or a really large saucepan place your fruit and your water into your pan. I mentioned that I’d made up this recipe a few weeks ago – using all those tiny and unripe damsons that aren’t worth much other effort. Now use an implement like a wire skimmer to trawl through the liquid lifting out masses of stones and discarding them. – pass the liquid through a succession of colanders, sieves, etc to separate juice and pulp from the stones, turning yourself and the kitchen dark pink in the process. PREP: 10 MINS, COOK: 50 MINS, MAKES 4 JARS. I saved the removal of the stones for after the jam was made and although it is still quite time consuming, it is probably the easiest method. Then lever the stone out. This will make it a lot easier. The broad process is the same as most jams, equal amounts of damsons and sugar, then heat in a big pan, but here comes the crux, the stones. 3. Put into a pan with the water and simmer gently until the fruit is soft, occasionally pressing the damsons against the sides of the pan to break open and release the stones. Now remove from heat and strain the fruit and jucie through a large holed colander. Damsons – the most rocking fruit. I saved the removal of the stones for after the jam was made and although it is still quite time consuming, it is probably the easiest method. However damson wine is probably the best country wine, a wine reserved for the most esteemed of visitors, so esteemed in fact they haven’t turned up in my house yet! This removes all of the solids such as the skins and any remaining stones (there will be some stones despite your best efforts). This will make removing the stones a lot easier. I stew the damsons in just a small amount of water, then when they are soft, most stones rise to the surface and can be grabbed with plastic-gloved hands. I use 900g of Jam sugar to 1kg of fruit. These hybrids fall between damsons and sloes and are thought to be another man-made cultivar. Recipe for Damson jam. Remove the stones. While some eat and cook with the pits of peaches, cherries, apricots, and plums, others consider them inedible and toxic. Remove the muslin bag, squeezing any juice back into the pan. Use a cherry/olive stoner device or similar, to punch out the stone – such as the Leifheit Freeze the damsons and defrost them – the stones may come away more readily from the squidgier fruit? There are currently 3 schools of thought regarding Damson stones 1. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9b3bd695402dc0fbb8727a79d26003e" );document.getElementById("c36543d58f").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); All content and photography © 2020 Wild Food UK. Mix damsons blackberries and elderberries in equal parts for the best jam ever. You could also freeze the damsons. Any left behind stones will rise to the surface and can be scooped out at the jam-making stage. Recently made jam from bullaces and tried the stoning tactics mentioned in this article. This can take some time, but finally when no more stones are forthcoming, get a rolling boil for around 10 minutes. Put the liquid onto a flat heatproof surface, ideally a silicone baking sheet, but greaseproof paper or a non stick baking tray will work. Wash the damsons, remove the stones, and use a knife to slice each one into halves or wedges. Last weekend I made a frankly delicious batch of jam. This will need to be removed before making wine as the stone will introduce far too much bitterness. The easiest way is to spread out the cooked damsons and feel over them removing any stones as you go. Damsons are to this day available in many varieties such as from commercial nurseries ‘wild’ damsons, bullaces and plums are almost always found in association with human habitation. Basically I cook the damsons stones-in and then slop the hot jam through a colander when it’s ready. Place them in a large wide pan with the water and simmer gently until the fruit is soft. Remove the stone and cut into small pieces. 2kg of Damsons; 1.8 kg of Jam Sugar; Juice of Lemon; Place 3 plates in the fridge; Rinse your Damsons and place your Damsons in a large pot with sufficient water to cover the bottom of the pan, ( the more water the less flavoursome) gently cook until the fruit is softened and the stones are rising to the top. Directions. Test by placing a teaspoonful onto a cold plate, place back in the fridge, check after a few minutes – if set it will wrinkle when you draw you finger down it. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). The most efficient way to stone damsons for the topping of a cake: the Leifheit plum pitter stones plums as quickly as possible. Place in a large wide pan with the water and simmer gently until the fruit is soft. Mix the sugar, vanilla sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and evenly sprinkle nearly half of this mixture onto the damson-topped cake. The prepared damsons can then either be used straight away or what I prefer to do is freeze them. Will always use this way in future. I’ll be making it every year now. Periodically test to see if it has set and when done take it out and roll it into sausages and cut it into short lengths. Discard the stones and place the fruit in the bowl of a food processor. From tree to jar - my grandmother's recipe for making damson jam. Damson foliage is almost free from thorns unlike it’s smaller cousin, enabling pain free picking. So what can we do with our damsons? Damson jam is probably the tastiest fruit jam out. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Boil rapidly, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes. Then add the 1kg of damsons to1 pint water and bring to the boil and break up the damsons with the potato masher as they become soft. As well as tasting delicious, damson jam really is a beautiful colour so it seemed like the best way to use them. Set aside. Spread it out until it forms a layer 1-3mm thick and either place it in an oven on its lowest heat setting with the door slightly open or overnight, or better still in a dehydrator. Another option is to sieve the jam … 2. With its blades made of stainless steel the little device removes cleanly the stones and cuts the plums for the topping of a cake. Skim off and discard. Required fields are marked *. It has a lovely strong dark-fruit flavour. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Once strained replace your pan on the heat and add sugar, now you need to keep stirring until all of the sugar has dissolved and gently bring to the boil. Skimming too fiddly. Posted on August 23, 2011 by Gardens, Food & Umbria. N.B: It’s worth going the extra mile and doing this because the stones could easily crack a tooth if you accidentally bit down on one. Some people would say the best jam in the world is damson jam, and I would agree. The raspberries in the garden are too plentiful even to freeze, and the wild damson jam is something you wouldn’t often see in any shop. Squash the damsons against the side of the pan to remove the stones. "Hi damson lovers I make a lot of damson jam as it's my absolute favourite jam. 2… Over two millennia and with further breeding on the continent it has become peculiar to the British Isles, only the slightly larger damascene is found in Europe. They do not deteriorate and … Crack the reserved cherry stones and tie in a small piece of muslin then add to the pan. It remained a favourite with the stones being found in Anglo-Saxon archaeological sites. It is also my favourite jam for its intense colour and unique flavours. Halve the damsons and remove the stones. The other method of removing the damson stones from the mix is at the cooking stage. I found them slow and heavy going . The broad process is the same as most jams, equal amounts of damsons and sugar, then heat in a big pan, but here comes the crux, the stones. When I defrost I then pick the stones out pop them into a muslin bag and bring to temperature add the sugar and then remove the stones and squeeze the surplus off. Lay the damsons on top of the dough, closely overlapping them like roof tiles. Because damson stones may be difficult and time-consuming to separate from the flesh, preserves, such as jam or fruit butter, are often made from whole fruit. I must say that damson ice cream was THE best idea I’ve ever followed! When making Damson Jam or jam of any kind you need to know the weight of the fruit to calculate the amount of sugar. When thawed, the stone will come away a lot easier – just use a knife to cut down the length of the damson and then give it a twist. Press the damsons against the sides of the pan as they cook to help the fruit release their stones. Pick over to remove stalks. If you ever find a slightly thorny oversized sloe bush then you likely have a bullace. For a final suggestion of things to do with damsons is to make wine, damson wine. Then lever the stone out. 900g damsons, stalks removed. Skim them off the cooked Damsons 3. If you are having real problems you can add some pectolyase as it will help to destroy the enzymes in the pectin making the Your email address will not be published. Other ideas for damsons include our damson membrillo and our Damson and Frangipane Tart . If it has not set continue to boil – you may at this point add a the juice of your lemon , this will help it to set. Required fields are marked *. Voila, the best jam in the world. A chewy piece of damson goodness. Until 1/2 hour ago I was a member of school 3. Put the Damson in the stoner upright, press the handle, stone gone. It is much better to remove the stones beforehand, as this keeps the fruit whole and the boiling time to a minimum. One method to remove the damson stones is to put them in a pan of water and simmer until they soften. 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