You may remember a few posts back I put up a picture of some beautiful damsons growing in our tree. This is called a Shropshire Prune, and I bought it from Keepers Nursery in Kent three years ago.At that time, I had to go away for the weekend to take the children to a competition and David had to plant the tree in a really pretty large square (not round!) hole. Since he was suffering from vertigo, he had to get a neighbour to make sure he didn't put it in at 45 degrees!
This year it is tall and fairly bushy. Thanks to great weather and huge amounts of water, it has produced a crop for the first time. I'd say about 8 kilos. To my surprise, the small, silver-bloomed dark fruit are very good to eat raw but that is not why I wanted them. When I do get round to eating jam, my favourite is certainly dark purple damson. I have a soft spot for sour cherry as well, perhaps I should find room for a cherry tree?
Anyway, over the last two weekends, my indefatigable husband has produced several jars of damson jam (front, one went to helpful neighbour), one large jar of damsons in rum(back) and reasonable amount of chinese plum sauce(right), which should work just great as a marinade for pork and other things. The rum fruit is for Christmas, if I can wait that long.
Recipes should follow, when I can prise them out of David. I know he made the rum one up. I am also waiting for my daughter to turn the remaining damsons in the freezer into dark red crumble. Me cook? Actually, I make curries and fab wholemeal bread. More another time ...
