COTSWOLD Food By Sue Bradley
Pickled Damsons
THE PICKLED DAMSON IS THE PERFECT PARTNER FOR COLD MEATS AND CHEESES. SUE BRADLEY SHARES A RECIPE THAT HAS BEEN PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
THE last days of summer add up to a busy time within orchards throughout the Cotswolds.
In the weeks to come fruit growers will be harvesting apples, pears, gages and plums, along with the versatile damson.
This blue-black fruit looks like a small plum, has a spicy and sweet taste and can be put to a myriad of uses.
It can be stewed to make jam or for the filling for a crumble or tart; fermented for wine, infused into gin or reduced or potted to make a rich “damson cheese”. Meanwhile damson sauce is particularly good with game, such as duck or venison.
However, my favourite way to enjoy damsons is to pickle them and eat them with cold meats, such as the remains of a Christmas turkey, goose or ham.
This recipe for spicy pickled damsons was given to me by a friend who recently celebrated her 90th birthday; a true countrywoman who has continued her family’s tradition of preserving gluts of fruit so that they can be enjoyed well into the following year.
It’s a very simple procedure that can be scaled up or down, depending on how many damsons there are to use.
Here’s what you do:
• Prick damsons two or three times with a fork and place into a bowl. Place vinegar, sugar and cloves into a saucepan and heat gently until it reaches boiling point. Simmer for around five minutes.
• Pour the vinegar mixture over the damsons and leave to soak for a day.
• The following day, warm clean jam jars in an oven set to a low temperature.
• Meanwhile, transfer the vinegar and damsons into an aluminium preserving pan and bring to the boil until the liquid around the damsons has reduced slightly. Spoon damsons and their sweet and spicy juices into jars. Fill to the top of the jar and seal with a wax disk before screwing on a lid.
Ingredients:
• 1,350g or 3lb of damsons • 300ml or 1⁄2 pint white vinegar • 24 cloves • 900g or 2lb of granulated sugar
• Leave pickled damsons to “mature” for a couple of months before eating.
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