Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: Beetroot queen on August 26, 2009, 14:17
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And all six of my jam and chutney books dont have a recipe I like the look off, I like doing chutneys so would prefer a chutney but I am also happy to do jam.
Question is with jam, no recipe I have found makes it clear about stones, it says remove some if you want too, well surely I cant leave them in, can I :unsure:
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I don't have it with me, but isn't there a damson recipe in Val and John's book?
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I don't have it with me, but isn't there a damson recipe in Val and John's book?
I havent got around to buying it yet, waiting for some pennies in the bank :blink:
I have just pulled off a jam recipe of this site, just dont want to make all jam with 19lb :lol:
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Fair point! :D
Jam, chutney, damson and rhubarb crumble.... erm... damson gin....
I'm struggling. :D
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How about making a tarte tatin with plums instead of apples - or a plum upside down cake instead of using pineapple - or crumble - or is freezing them an option for the winter?
I've never made it but an idea just popped in my mind - how about a bash at a plum sauce similar to that used in those chinese duck pancakes?
- or in a fresh fruit salad of course!!!! :tongue2:
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Hi there, quick post, lucky you :D Been using a great damson jam recipe from the list. Got jars and jars :lol: 4lb damsons, I made it double each batch. Yummy jam family love it!!!
Happy cooking :) Buntybunny
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Sometimes the plum stones are loose and you can get them out as you prepare the fruit.
If not, I've always found that the stones boil up to the top as you make the jam, so you can skim them out. Not 100% foolproof but you do get most of them :)
I think you'd have to get the stones out first to make a chutney though, cos i don't think you'd see them with all the other lumpy bits in the pan.
Good luck :)
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Damson cheese is what you want - then you dont have to fish the pesky stones out, but you get more than if you make damson jelly. Jelly is very pretty and tastes good, but pound for pound, cheese does a lot more tea-times.
Put the damsons in a jam pan or big saucepan, cover with water and simmer gently for 15 - 20 mins till very soft. Scoop out any loose stones and leave to cool a bit - you don't want to it to scald you.
Push through a sieve with a wooden spoon into a big measureing jug if you have one, or a mixing bowl. Takes a bit of work but you are left with the skins and stones in the sieve and the flesh and juice goes through. Return to the pan and add 12oz sugar to every pint puree. Then treat as you would any other jam.
Works with any small, stoned fruit - although you may need to adjust the sugar content a bit.
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I've got a damson chutney receipe too (parents had damson trees!) but I wasnt impressed with it. Very sharp and smooth. A little goes a long way - I found I used it in cheese sarnies to jolly them up for lunch boxes. Let me know if you want it.
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Delia does a chutney has anyone tried it
I have done one batch of jam and have another on the go, first jar was tried with breakfast and both kids loved it so bring on the damsons :D
will have a look at the others thanks all :D
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The River Cottage Year has a recipe for plum/damson compote with a chilli dipping sauce as a side benefit.
Basically boil up damsons with water and sugar for 20 mins. Strain off some syrup and add chopped chillis and soy and vinegar and garlic. Bottle. Sauce done!
Take out stones from cooled puree and compote done.
I count the damsons in and so know how many stones to fish out. Tiresome, but foolproof!
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A friend of ours came in this morning with a dustbin bag of plums. I am looking into freezing at least half, you can freeze them in sugar water with or without skin/stones, but I am trying a few just in the freezer as-is... :unsure:
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Vals recipe here
http://www.allotment-garden.org/recipe/143/damson-jam-recipe/
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Have you got somewhere that you could sell the jam/chutney?
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A friend of ours came in this morning with a dustbin bag of plums. I am looking into freezing at least half, you can freeze them in sugar water with or without skin/stones, but I am trying a few just in the freezer as-is... :unsure:
Likewise in desparation (there arent enough hours in the day) - I open freeze them, tip them into a bag once frozen and they keep and keep. A bit soft when they come out but good for stewing or pies or jam. Or liqueur!
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It's a nightmare stoning them though :blink:
Only had 4 lb of (admittedly rather ripe) plums to deal with - discovered you can't adopt the avocado approach of slice and twist :wub:
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The last of the damsons went into a crumble, yummy and I hate crumble usually
Friend texted me to say she will drop of another carrier bag at the end of the week :blink:
Bring on the recipes, may have to pop to the book shop and buy Val's book (hubby can treat me) :blush:
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I also am on the verge of dealing with a bumper crop of damsons--we live now in an old house with a very active orchard which has been neglected for some time. I was going to make damson cheese--a German friend of mine told me that if you crack some of the stones and add to the boiling part of the process, they impart a nice flavour. Does anyone know anything about this? Not going to poison us, am I?
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try damson wine 4lb to the gallon and a cinnomen stick (optional} my mum alway cracked some of the stones and put in plum jam gives an almondy taste I expect it works the same with damsons. I have just dealt with 38lb ,wine crumble and frozen , now I'm dealing with the pears!!!
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You are a damson hero! I am going to guess that because we are in northern Scotland that's why ours are just ripening now--it's been raining cats and dogs so they're sure to be well watered...
Damson wine sounds like a very nice idea--and I have to say, crumble appeals mightily...we are also expecting a bumper crop of apples so perhaps it will be cider, wine, and a little pudding?
Thanks for the tip!
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Some recipes for damsons http://www.allotment-garden.org/recipe/category/fruit-recipe/damsons-recipe/. And, yes, do crack open a few stones and add the kernels to the boiling process.
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Has anyone with all these damsons got any tips for getting the stones out of jam? I made half quantities of the damson jam from Val & John's book (thank you!) at the weekend, and it drove me bananas. I thought I'd just be able to skim most of them off the top but they're artful little so-and-sos and they hide and run away! I ended up wasting a good saucerful of jam, and I still managed to miss loads.
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I also am on the verge of dealing with a bumper crop of damsons--we live now in an old house with a very active orchard which has been neglected for some time. I was going to make damson cheese--a German friend of mine told me that if you crack some of the stones and add to the boiling part of the process, they impart a nice flavour. Does anyone know anything about this? Not going to poison us, am I?
Just add the kernels from the stones, they add a nice almondy flavour. Bit of a pain though, cracking the tiny stones. You might get sick of cracking them before you do enough to make a difference! :D (I add the kernals of peach stones to peach jam for the same reason - but at least they are big enough to bother!)
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Strongly recommend you try damson gin. Basic recipe is best, just damsons, gin and sugar.
Not one I saw in an old WI recipe book last night that had HALF A GALLON OF SHERRY, HALF A GALLON OF GIN AND TWO QUARTS OF SLOES.... :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy: :wacko:
And when you finally decant the damson gin, you can eat the damsons as they are. Or mix them up with chocolate. Great.
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Thanks all for the advice, especially on the stone front. Will let you know how it turns out. Also thanks for the link to the damson recipe bonanza--there are as many things to do with them, it seems, as I have damsons! (Gin, who knew!)
Ta