Making damson jam

Supercell

One of the most favourite foodie memories of my youth is scoffing down damson jam sambos, or damson jam on butter slathered warm toast, truly the stuff drooling was invented for.

I tried looking on-line but it seems very hard to find anywhere that sells the jam. From what i have read it is pretty well suited to growing in Ireland so presumably damsons should be able to be bought here in autumn somewhere.

If anyone knows a place that sells the jam or the damsons I'd love to hear it, I've a really hankering for the delicious taste again.

kylith

I've seen Bon Maman Damson jam in a Supervalue last christmas, but not since.

If anyone's made any I'd certainly take a couple of jars off their hands.

the beer revolu

Damsons grow wild in hedgerows in Ireland.
My father used to collect them to make damson wine.

dh0661

the beer revolu wrote: »

Damsons grow wild in hedgerows in Ireland.
My father used to collect them to make damson wine.

My Dad still does this - really beautiful wine IMO, but he reckons that damsons are called sloes (slows) in certain parts of the country.

Alun

dh0661 wrote: »

My Dad still does this - really beautiful wine IMO, but he reckons that damsons are called sloes (slows) in certain parts of the country.

Sloes are tiny little mind-numbingly bitter things the size of a small grape, the fruit of the blackthorn (prunus spinosa) used to make sloe gin and sloe jelly. Try eating one raw, even a very ripe one, and your mouth and lips will shrivel up to nothing, they're that bitter.

Damsons are more like small plums really, and quite edible when ripe.

0lddog

Supercell wrote: »

................. From what i have read it is pretty well suited to growing in Ireland so presumably damsons should be able to be bought here in autumn somewhere...................

I've just gathered up about 15kg from a wee tree that grows here

So now is the time to go looking to buy / looking to pick along the road

Supercell

0lddog wrote: »

I've just gathered up about 15kg from a wee tree that grows here

So now is the time to go looking to buy / looking to pick along the road

Anyone seen the fruit or the jam on sale recently?, I'm still dying to recreate this wonderful jam!

kylith

Supercell wrote: »

Anyone seen the fruit or the jam on sale recently?, I'm still dying to recreate this wonderful jam!

I found some in Supervalue at O'Connell Bridge.

Supercell

Great, thanks, I'll have to check them out

Qualitymark

Best way of getting damsons is to plant a damson tree. Future Forests in Cork and Wicklow do them, and deliver, or certainly used to:

http://www.futureforests.net/br_fruit.htm or Tel: 027 66176 or futureforests at eircom dot net (replace the at and dot for an email address)

I think they're around €12 if you buy a few and €16 each.

Here's a description of the Shropshire Prune damson, one of the ones they sell (from another site): http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/Damson-Prune-Damson and here's a growing guide, including sizes: http://www.pots2plots.com/Fruit/Growing%20Damsons.htm

If you have a bit of land you could even have some damson trees as part of a 'native fruiting hedge', which they'll sell you with a selection of different trees and shrubs, all fruiting or nutting.

0lddog

They seem to be a bit earlier this year

Corsendonk

Tesco sell their own brand Damson Jam.

Qualitymark

Corsendonk wrote: »

Tesco sell their own brand Damson Jam.

I'd normally walk a long way to avoid shopping there, but may go in and try this, nothing else.