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
400ml Water
1kg Sugar
Makes 4 pots of jam
1. Put your jam jars in a moderate oven to sterilise them and put a small plate in the fridge or freezer.
2. Wash your damsons and put them in a large pan, with 400ml of water and bring it to the boil.
3. Simmer until the damsons are soft.
4. Scoop out the stones with a slotted spoon (this is probably the most time consuming bit.)
5. Add the sugar, stir to dissolve and boil for ten minutes, do not leave your jam as it can easily boil over (imagine clearing up sticky, sugary jam from your hob.)
6. Test the setting point by putting half a teaspoon of jam onto the cold plate from the fridge, gently move it with your finger and the jam will crinkle slightly if it has reached its setting point.
7. Pour the jam into your jars and cover (we cut circles from wax paper to cover ours).
8. Store in a cool, dark place or the fridge.
