I was very excited this past week when I went to check on the bags of damson stones in compost I'd stashed in the garage fridge this past autumn here at Struan Farm. They'd begun to sprout, hooray!
Now I have several trays of damson seedling trees growing in our glasshouse being nurtured along. The two different types are from heritage trees still fruiting in the wider Piopio area, one from a settler orchard in nearby Mapiu, the other from Grandpa Anselmi's damson tree here in Piopio.
Grandpa was an Italian immigrant to New Zealand who made grappa from the fruit of his tree, a rather special historic tidbit in my view. While his descendants don't use them to make grappa, they do dabble making damson gin and vodka with the fruit, along with vinegar, glaze, jams (my absolute favourite jam on the planet), and paste. There was some thought that this tree might be on its last legs, it's leaning over in a paddock, so last year I grew a new one for the family from a stone. However the tree must have sensed it was being threatened, and this season burst into major growth and fruit. It's funny how trees can read the minds of those around them and react to that, isn't it?
Damsons are a type of prune plum, so can also be dehydrated to make prunes. If you'd like to learn more about them, order and read Lynda Hallinan's definitive book. It has heaps of recipes and is a great gift for anyone who either has a tree or might be interested in learning more.
I am excited to be able to grow these trees and pass them along to the next generation. Of course I'll plant one of each here at Struan Farm, somewhere.
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