Now I'm onto the damsons, having worked my way through the stash of blackcurrants from this past summer's harvest here at Struan Farm. I've become a huge fan of damsons, having discovered them quite inadvertently when a local person dropped a box of them off at Piopio's Community Fruit & Veg Stand two years ago.
I'd heard of them but had never seen or cooked with them before. About that same time Lynda Hallinan of NZ Gardener magazine fame published her definitive book: "Damson: From hedgerow to harvest." The book provides a good amount of background on the history of the fruit, along with growing and using it.
This year I've decided it's pretty much blackcurrant and spiced damson jam for our farmstay guests. The blackcurrant is now made and stored in sealed jars in the pantry, so I'm onto the damson.
The damsons are put into a pot, covered with water and simmered until soft, anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Once they're cool they're drained and put through a food mill, which removes the stones and skins. The puree is then measured and put into the jam pan and gently reheated. At this time I add some fresh lemon juice and Syrian 7 Spice mix (or whichever spice mix you prefer). Once the puree is warm sugar is added and dissolved. Basically if the puree measures four cups I add the same amount of sugar, since damsons are tart. This is then cooked to set point, which I determine by putting a plate in the freezer and dribbling a stream of warm jam across it. If I am able to run my finger through the jam without it running, it's pretty much done. This is not an exact science, you need to figure out what works for you.
This is batch #3:
Syrian 7 Spice damson jam is my absolute favourite. It can be used warmed as a sauce on ice cream, in baking, or on toast, scones, etc. Find room at your place for a damson tree! And I need to go find some more jars to keep the jam making exercise on track these rainy winter days.
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