Urgent Re Damsons

[Palustris]

Half of one of our Damson trees has snapped off. The fruit is dark purple, but not quite ripe. Question is, will it ripen off the tree? Or is this crop lost?

[Palustris]

[BarriedaleNick]

I think they will - keep them in a warm place and they should be OK.  Throw in a banana as they help other fruit ripen quicker.  If all else fails through them in some gin - damson gin is great!

[Palustris]

We don't have any bananas and we don't drink alcohol, but thanks. Already picked about 100 pounds and still more to go. Heaven knows what we will do with them all, except that we do get rid of pounds of them to our local gardening group.

[BarriedaleNick]

Wow - 100lbs is a lot of damsons.  My first year with a tree and we got about 2 lbs..

[ancellsfarmer]

Well you could pickle some.
http://www.thehungrygannet.co.uk/foodblog/pickled-damsons/

[Digeroo]

If you do not have bananas any ripe fruit will do.  Do you have apples?

[Palustris]

Couple of hundredweight of unripe apples, still on the trees.

[ancellsfarmer]

Couple of hundredweight of unripe apples, still on the trees.

Down here there's a company* who would receive your fruit, turn it into (very good) cider and let you have half the yield back, bottled. Bit too far from your place but there must be others.
* www.thegardencidercompany.co.uk/

or combine your assets:
https://www.getmecooking.com/recipe/damson-and-apple-jelly

[Palustris]

Bit of a problem with Cider.............I don't drink alcohol.
The apples will be picked, juiced or puréed or baked and eaten over winter. No problem using most of them up.
No go with pickled Damson either. Pickled things give me chronic indigestion.
There is still about the same amount of fruit left on the tree and on the others round the garden.

[JoNewms]

Damson jam is fabulous though quite strong in flavour. Very tasty in the middle of a chocolate cake!
My mum doesn't take the stones out, but I think removing the stones is a faff but much easier to eat the jam.
My jam keeps very well - especially if you use the paraffin sealing method.

It is also fabulous if you cut the damsons in half and spread on a piece of puff pastry - little bit of sugar and in the oven. Yum with crème fraiche. Spiced plum chutney would also work on this one.

Stewed fruit in the freezer is pretty good too. Again, it is a strong flavour, so you might want to mix in with some apple.

Have fun! Maybe get a good film going for the de-stoning!

[johhnyco15]

damson chutney make it now and eat it at xmas with cold meats and cheese fantastic