Damsons 19th September 2019. September 10, 2007 at 9:12 pm. Poppy Red Posts: 26. Go. Eric Biggane says: September 21, 2020 at 7:34 pm . Are my damsons ripe?? Shake every day for a week, then once a week for ten weeks. My guess is that you have damsons. almond or vanilla extract (optional) 1 gin. Alas, have no damsons, but enjoyed reading your recipes. Intense and tangy, English damsons have a relatively short season, and are beloved of jam-makers. ... genera (rhamnus and frangula). Find out when damsons are in season and top tips for cooking them. How to tell a sloe from a damson. Reply. 0. I have discovered that the tree on my allotment which I tried to identify on this site a while ago is a damson tree. I mean I pick them both and mix I’m sure and I’m now in the process of making sloe gin is this a problem to mix ? I will pick sloes later, in late September, early October, to make sloe gin. Nutritional Info (per 100g) Energy 582kJ, 137kcal | Fat 0g | Carbohydrate 34g of which sugars 34g | Protein 0.2g | Salt 0g: Allergen Advice: May contain traces of nuts. Shake the jar every day for a month, then leave until Christmas. Method for making Damson Gin. I’ve never made damson gin, although I do regularly make sloe gin. Also are the damsons more blue in colour ? By Phil Leng. Recipe: Damson Gin. All the above are usually ready to pick around late September to early October. Obviously as the tree you picked from had no thorns this confirms you have damsons Good wine/gin/pudding making. https://www.womanandhome.com/recipes/homemade-damson-gin-recipe Add in the sugar and shake once a day until it turns pink. when are damsons ready to pick? 17 Aug, 2013 . Damsons – the most rocking fruit. First Prev 2 of 3 Go to page. 1 decade ago. Unknown. In Season. Fruit has done really badly in this part of the world. Directions. One is of a purging nature, and if you use the berries (they are very small) in gin it'll hurry the body processes alarmingly! Do you know the answer? Damson gin sounds delicious, I can’t touch vodka since i overdosed during a ‘fun’ evening where I made lemon vodka, russian starters and 8 of us did the ‘vasdorovye’ toasting thing and downed 2 bottles in 20 minutes. Warning: Contains fruit stones. You can make damson gin as well - it's lovely - a bit like sloe gin. Storage : Sealed jars, ambient temperature, away from direct sunlight. Patience! If you're picking them for sloe gin then traditionally you wait until after the first frost. The theory behind this is that the frost splits the skins so the juices can flow into your gin without you having to go to the effort of pricking all the berries. 0 0. 00:16 Sat 22nd Aug 2009. Aug 14, 2020 - Explore Tezzapezza's board "Damsons" on Pinterest. 5 September 2011 at 8:11PM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Greenfingered MoneySaving. - George Bernard Shaw . damsons/jam/gin. These days, there's no reason why you can't pick them earlier, bag them up and pop them in your freezer to mimic that first frost. Also I have made some sloe or damson mix syrup for my porridge it’s great t . Darina Allen, the author and chef of Ballymaloe Cookery School, is a great fan of sloe gin and gives a definitive recipe. Not sure what Cangrandmafixit is talking about. Lv 6. Sloes are the berries of the blackthorn bush (Prunus spinosa) a member of the rose family. Same method. Then add the gin and shake. Makes: 2 Prep Time: 0 hours 0 mins Cook Time: 0 hours 0 mins Ingredients. Thread starter Biddlybee; Start date Feb 15, 2011; Prev. According to Damson plum tree information, fresh Damson plums (Prunus insititia) are bitter and unpleasant, so Damson plum trees aren’t recommended if you want to eat sweet, juicy fruit straight off the tree.However, when it comes to jams, jellies and sauces, Damson plums are pure perfection. Now wait for six months. Scald and dry your jar(s) Place a layer of damsons in the jar, sprinkle with sugar. DawnW Forumite. It is a bit early for sloes, but high season for damsons. I'm told it is a good year for damsons and sloes so that being the case, mother and I went into the orchard to pick some and decided, instead of making pies and jam we'd go down the alcoholic route and make some sloe (and damson) gin. Damsons are hardier than most plums and will often succeed in situations where a plum tree would fail to fruit. 1 tsp. Availability. Instead, Bevan recommends simply putting your fruits in the freezer for a few days. If you want an instant tongue defuzz bite into one – it is very sharp but not quite as bitter as a sloe. 1 to 6 of 6. English damsons. But the fruit grown for us in Herefordshire by brothers Jake and Rupert Simpson isn’t restricted to the preserving pan; these dark purple fruits also make deep-flavoured pies, crumbles and cobblers and add fruity zing to a creamy semifreddo. There is no need to stone the damsons. At this time of the year a heavily laden damson tree will bring joy to the heart of those in the know. Expect your damson to grow to around 10-15 feet (3-4.5m). Wild damsons (the ones in the bowl) are the size of a small olive and have the same elongated shape. they are slightly soft just about edible not very sweet and not a lot … Herbie. Also known as Westmorland, Witherslack and Kendal damsons, they were once a source of significant supplementary income for the area’s farms. Bullace, damson and sloes are all edible. If you live rurally, you can probably find a few bushes to harvest some fruit (try to leave some for the wildlife though!) Please read my guide to safe and sustainable foraging before picking or eating anything from the wild. Advertisement . Pigx. my damson tree has a few fruits on it. These have to be the most rocking of fruit with their ‘Deep Purple’ colour and perfect blend of fruitiness and tartness. When it comes time to using your harvest, ignore the sloe gin myths: you may have heard that pricking each sloe with a silver needle is necessary, or that you should only forage after the first frost. I hope this helps. Damsons are self-fertile, so … My baby tree had two and they both fell off. 0. 5 replies 35.8K views oldtractor Forumite. Refresh. Nothing much beats a cold winter day, warmming in front of the fire, accompanied by friends or family. After the first frost, and only after the first frost are the sloes ready. Particular to the Lyth Valley and part of the rhythms of life in Cumbria, damsons have traditionally brought visitors to the valley to pick fruit or see the stunning display of white blossom. I bought some damsons last week. Strain mixture through a sieve and bottle. 2. Sloes, Damsons and Gin! 1; 2; 3; Next. 0. Cheers. Remove any stalks and wipe with a damp cloth. Damsons are actually a form of plum but with a generally tart flavour and being used more for cooking, jams, wine etc rather than eaten fresh. Lucy says. After that, they’re ready to steep in gin. INGREDIENTS FOR DAMSON GIN 550g of fresh damsons 250g of granulated sugar 1L of gin. I wish I did. I live in the South and the damsons on my trees are not ripe yet. Damsons in abundance. Plenty of recipes for this on web, great with a Strong Cheddar. The leaves of a tree are similar to a plum leaf but smaller. As a fruit, Jelly can be made and with Apple can make for a good Jam. I should get an award for idiocy. Top Tip! See more ideas about Gin recipes, Damson gin recipe, Homemade alcohol. Jaykaty . or you can buy both hedgerow and dessert varieties at your local grocers, farm shop, or independent store. A small fruit with vibrant dark blue skin and a strong, sour flavour, damsons are similar to plums and a member of the rose family. Wash and dry 600ml of sloes (or damsons). They have a large stone and are often juicy, but tend not be eaten raw due to the tartness of the flesh. However, with the weather everything seems to have gone a little haywire this year. If you can get your hands on damsons or sloes in mid/late summer, pick a lot to make this recipe in time to drink for Christmas. The flesh is a yellow orange and the stone small. Sloe is most famous for an additive to Gin, but you can use the same method with Vodka and Whiskey even. 6.5K posts 15 August 2007 at 8:40PM. 15 August 2007 at 8:40PM. Shropshire Prune (also known as Prune Damson) is one to choose for neat, compact growth, or you could look for a tree grown on Pixy rootstock to restrict growth to 8-10 feet (2.4-3m). Store by freezing them, bottling them, preserving them in alcohol or making Damson Cheese. Not this year though. 1lb (450g) sloes or damsons; 3 cups (750ml) vodka or gin; About 12½oz (350g) caster sugar; Remove stems from the fruits and prick with a fork to break the skins. 500g (generous 1lb) damsons; 600ml (1 pint) gin; 250g (9oz) caster sugar; Method. Harvest now. 600 g damsons or sloes (fresh or frozen) 150 g caster sugar. If you're doing a large batch, freeze overnight to break the skins instead. 0. Maynards Farm, Ticehurst, TN57HQ In the summer season we're open every day - Monday to Sunday 9am till 6pm Out of season please call +44 (0) 1580 200394 before visiting Ingredients: 1 lb/450g damsons; 3oz/85g sugar; 1 bottle of gin; Method: 1. The experts reckon it's best to pick sloes for gin after the first frost has got to them as it improves the flavour, so I guess freezing them would have the same effect? Sloe and apple jelly is delicious with roast lamb. Damsons come in all shapes and sizes, from the small wild hedgerow type to large dessert varieties, but all are just as good to make gin. August 2012. Make sure you have your neighbours' permission to pick the fruit as, technically I believe, they belong to them. Store in a cool, dark place, shaking the mixture once a day until the sugar fully dissolves. the fruit can actually look quite similar, though as people have mentioned, damsons are usually bigger. Refrigerate once opened. Basically I cook the damsons stones-in and then slop the hot jam through a colander when it’s ready. Prick each damson 9 times with a scalded darning needle or wooden toothpick / cocktail stick. Freezing Damsons Answer Question >> Latest Posts. Prick the damsons with a skewer and put them in a preserving jar with 600ml (1 pint) of gin and 250g (9oz) caster sugar. Repeat until the jar is full. None ripen at the same time so several journeys are often needed to get the best. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Then having pushed the last bit of syrupy jam through the holes I dump the solids left in the colander onto a plate and set to it with two forks, separating the white-ish stones from the dark purple skins by eye. Prick the damsons with a needle. September 2014. Although the gin can be drunk after 3 months, I find it is much better after … "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." Sloe/blackthorn bushes grow into trees. Welshonion Posts: 3,114. Oh for some wild damsons to forage. Miller's Harvest™ Accompaniments for Cheese ... Damsons (44%), Sugar, Gin (11%), Water. Pick sound, ripe damsons, better slightly over-ripe than under. 1lb damsons 1lb sugar 1 bottle gin (750ml for a syrup-like texture or 1 litre if not) Method: Prick the damsons and put into a clean sterilised glass bottle (must have a lid). You see, usually for sloes (ignore this for Damsons, they’re plums so a totally different fruit) and gin making you have to wait for the first frost. Prick the damsons and put into a clean sterilised glass bottle (must have a lid). Gizmonster Bond Maturing. Put them in a 2.5-pint preserving jar, and add the sugar and gin. The dark bluish skins have the same greyish tinge of a sloe or dark plum. You can also use whole ripe damsons to make damson gin which is actually nicer than sloe gin. 2.3K posts 5 September 2011 at 8:11PM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Greenfingered MoneySaving. Freezing them works very well. 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