[snails2go]

A good friend has given me a bag of fruit which we thought were sloes, but they're really quite sweet.  So wondered if anyone could identify them for me?

Fingers crossed they're sloes I have gin and sugar waiting.....

[DD.]

If they're sweet then they're not sloes. It's also a bit early for them, they're at their best after the first frosts.

Pound to a penny they're damsons.

[Treedudel]

They look like Damsons or Pershore plums, but with that kinda matt coating they have I'm going for damsons.  Damson gin then!

[viettaclark]

Damsons. Just stripped my tree and made loads of jam and froze the rest.

[Salmo]

Sloes are always more than sour, astringent is more like even when ripe. If you thought they were sloes I presume that they were picked from a hedgerow. Could be wild plumb.

[Thrift]

I remember, as a child, eating delicious, sweet sloe like plums from the hedgerow. Anything sweet certainly isn't a sloe however ripe it may be.

[savbo]

do we think it's a particularly good year for damsons? We've been picking from half a dozen young trees on the edge of a path on our site (not on a plot), they're laden but I don't remember seeing anything in the previous 2 seasons we've been there...

[snails2go]

Thank you all.  Had to stop the kids munchingtheir way thru all the ripest ones but after a mouth watering couple of hours stabbing the fruits damson gin & damson vodka now brewing in the cupboard  Roll on Christmas!

[sunshineband]

do we think it's a particularly good year for damsons? We've been picking from half a dozen young trees on the edge of a path on our site (not on a plot), they're laden but I don't remember seeing anything in the previous 2 seasons we've been there...

There do seem to be some about I haven't noticed before -- although too high to reach sadly 

[madcat]

It has been a really good year for plums and will be for damsons round here,  but the apples are ripening too early and small.  Not enough water .....    Cant have it all, I suppose!

[sachkrimbo]

If you get more damsons, I spent several happy hours making damson cheese last night with the bounty I had picked in the morning.  Absolutely goregous.  had done the gin last year and fancied something different this time.

[chillinut]

My friend brought me a big bag of damsons and greengages a couple of days ago - made the plum cake on here but with the damsons instead - went down a treat making another one today  and I have had lots of requests for damson gin/vodka