Got the damsons in southern Lancashire, Coppull. Just under 25 pounds. It’s a brilliant wee place - the damson bushes are in a small ditch which means the fruit is easy to pick, some branches are so loaded and so close to the ground - blow knee height. Proper small damsons hat like Lythe Valley, not cultivated hybrids. Apart from the odd nettle rash and rose thorn scar it’s easy peasy pickings
A damson hedge separates us from the farmer's field - and the faulty ones drop on my lawn and go squishy. Lots of fruit again this year, 3 years of plentitude on the trot, and lots of growth which I am currently trying to contain (need to prune whilst still in leaf, to avoid disease). Still drinking last years damson vodka but have bought this years prime ingredient ready. The fruit from the mature trees is perfectly ripe now, the younger ones are still a bit hard. I can eat them raw but usually boil them up to make a coulis to eat with vanilla cheesecake or yogurt. Son makes jam (sons damn jam) but ketchup looks like a bit of a challenge...
Disagree - tried it a couple of years ago, still got a bottle left in the hope of improvement but basically it was almost undrinkable. Did no harm but tasted very peculiar. It did help limit my consumption however..
Agree: my damson wine is always great. I've also made damson port by using desert wine yeast = 18% alcohol then measuring our some brandy, few oak chips. My freezer does start to get very full at this time of year.
My partner just made 12 jars of Damson jams. He picked the damsons of a friend's damson tree in Nottingham. We tried to collect some elderberries and blackberries yesterday , but all seem to be wilted or gone. Only managed to make 2 small jars of elderberry jelly.
A few weeks ago I found the Mirabelle plum tree and made a few jars of jam. Finally the the clip stick came useful to shake plums off the tree. #tradclimber
