damson jam recipe
Damson jam is one of my favorite jams to have on toast. Damson jams produce a beautiful color and are not overly sweet.
Damsons remind me of my childhood when my family and I would go foraging together.
Damsons can be picked from August through September and sometimes even into October.
Some people have damson trees and don’t know what to do with the fruit or they simply don’t know what it is. I urge you to get out there and pick as many as you can!
Damsons can be frozen for a very long time (as long as a year). Damsons are such an underused fruit that I see so much of it wasted.
You may need to adjust the sugar and water you add to the jam depending on how good your fruit is. I have made many jams before, but this recipe NEVER fails
damson jam recipe basic Ingredients:-
- Damsons 900g (American 1 lb)
- 4 tablespoons- 300ml/ 12 pints (American 5 tablespoons- 14 cups) Water SMALLER amounts of water if the fruit is very ripe, LARGER amounts if the fruit is very firm (slightly under-ripe).
- Use 450g-550g sugar, caster, granulated, or sugar with pectin, depending on the ripeness of your fruit.
Equipment
- Preserving pan
- 9-liter pan
- 4.5-liter pan
- Jam jars
- Pack of 6 hexagonal jars
- Pack of 6 (380ml) round jars with red chequerboard lid
- Pack of 6 (190ml) round jars with red chequerboard lid
- Jam labels/ covers
- Pretty Lakeland jam self-adhesive jam labels (pk of 76)
- Nutley’s Dotty jam self-adhesive labels (pk of 96)
- Jam covers/ wax disks/ bands and simple labels
- Fabric crisscross jam covers
- Homemade gift tags and labels set (so cute!)
- Slotted spoons
- Stainless steel slotted spoon
- Nylon slotted spoon
- Large measuring jug (3 ltr)
- The basic basics jams, preserves, and chutneys handbook by Marguerite Patten
How to make damson jam recipe
- Once the damsons are picked, remove the stalks, wash them and dry them.
- In a large saucepan or preserving pan, combine the fruit and water.
- When the fruit is soft, remove as many stones as you can with a slotted spoon or tongs.
- Preheat your oven to 110C or very low and place the jars in without the lids.
- 5) Stir in the sugar over low heat until dissolved.
- Once the setting point has been reached, boil rapidly, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Pour/spoon into a large measuring jug and pour into the prepared jam jars once it reaches the setting point.
- 8) Place a wax disk on top (wax side down) and wrap the cellophane around. Screw the lid tight. NOTE: you do not have to use a wax disk and a cellophane circle. I’m just extra protective and don’t want spores to get in, which can cause mold. No mold yet!
- Once cooled, wipe down the jars (if any are spilled) and label them.