Picking Damsons and a Recipe for Damson Jam
With a bit more time on our hands due to the lockdown and a few trees of damsons lurking at the bottom of the garden, I asked my mum to share her recipe for making damson jam. It’s always nice to eat something local and homemade, so if you see some damsons on your dog walk or have a neighbour with an overly laden tree, make some!
You will need
- 1 kg damsons
- 400 ml water
- 1 kg sugar
Makes approximately 4 pots of jam
Method
- Put your jam jars in a moderate oven to sterilise them and place a small plate in the fridge or freezer.
- Wash the damsons and place them in a large pan with 400 ml of water. Bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until the damsons are soft.
- Scoop out the stones using a slotted spoon (this is probably the most time-consuming part).
- Add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then boil for ten minutes. Do not leave the jam unattended as it can easily boil over (imagine cleaning sticky jam off your hob).
- Test the setting point by placing half a teaspoon of jam onto the cold plate. Gently push it with your finger — if it wrinkles, it has reached setting point.
- Pour the jam into the sterilised jars and cover (we cut circles from wax paper to cover ours).
- Store in a cool, dark place or in the fridge.