Damson Jam is beautifully tart and has a wonderfully unique flavour. This recipe is perfect for using up your windfalls!
Today I’m re-posting my Damson Jam which I published in 2013 when I didn’t own or know how to use a professional camera. This recipe has been one of my most popular jams ever since so it was high time I did a re-shoot and gave it the presentation it deserved! I hope you approve.
I have a confession to make, in the 40 years that my parents have lived in their current house I have never taken any notice of their Damson tree.
When I was growing up we had a Victoria plum tree and a huge pear tree which dominated the garden but the Damson tree just minded its own business in one of the borders.
The Victoria plum and pear tree have long since languished but the Damson tree has soldiered on.
So it took my new love of jam-making for me to look forward to the harvest of Damsons that I’ve half-heartedly accepted bags of in the past. Yes shocking I know!
As with all my jams I like to do good old research of my topic and find the best and most efficient way to make my next jam.
It became apparent that this wasn’t a simple jam to make like all the other ones I’d made.
With Damsons, you have the sticky issue of the stone to contend with.
Hence there were recipes where you either laboriously cut them out at the beginning or you had to wade through hot jam at the end to remove them.
Kirstie Allsopp even suggested counting the plums so that you could be sure to have removed all the stones!
There were useful tips like agitating the plums once cooked with a whisk to help loosen the stones before fishing out.
Another tip I found which would have worked if my plums had all been ripe, was to remove the stone by gripping the opposite ends of the Damson and squeezing thus releasing the stone.
Sadly this only worked on a few of my damsons as most were not ripe enough for this method.
I came up with what I thought was a stroke of genius! I used my Oxo Good Grips Cherry/Olive pitter as it’s so sturdy and proved perfect for the job.
I decided I didn’t fancy fishing for stones at the end of the jam-making process with rubber gloves so I’m glad I removed them beforehand.
If I hadn’t I wouldn’t have known about the 3 rotten plums that had looked fine from the outside but were brown on the inside which would have spoiled the jam.
The only problem with pitting the Damsons beforehand is that the plum flesh still stuck to the stone. This would also happen when using a knife or the squeeze technique.
Not wanting to waste any flesh I decided to simmer my stones in a small amount of water.
Then I popped them in a sieve which seemed to offer the best of both worlds.
The liquor was then put back into the pan with the simmered Damsons before adding the sugar.
Since Damsons are so delightfully full of pectin there was no need to add any other fruit or lemon juice to this recipe, they are the perfect fruit to make jam or jelly with.
I had never had Damson Jam before but I’m enjoying its unique sharp flavour, particularly for breakfast on toast.
How Much Damson Jam Does this Recipe Make?
This recipe made 8 jars of varying sizes, I did, however, measure the volume, which was about 2.1 litres.
More Stone Fruit Jam Recipes
Try the following stone fruit recipes to ring the changes:
- Quick & Easy Apricot Jam
- Plum & Apple Jam
- Mirabelle Plum Jam
- Greengage Jam and what to do when your jam is too runny!
- Peach & Apricot Jam (1st Prize Winning)
- Easy Nectarine Jam– prize-winning!
- Strawberry & Peach Jam
I love chatting jam, so if you have any questions or want to tell me how you got on, please fire away in the comment section below!
Pin Damson Jam for later!
Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
Damson Jam
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Damsons (stoned after weighing)
- 1.875 kg Granulated Sugar
- 450 ml Water + 20 ml to simmer with damson stones
Instructions
- Cook the damsons in a preserving pan with the water gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- At the same time cook the stones in a separate medium sized pan with 20 mls of water for 20 minutes.
- When the stones have cooked put them in a sieve and squeeze with the back of a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes. (There will be clear liquid and a little puree, no need to squeeze until dry).
- Add this liquor to the cooked Damsons and then add the sugar.
- Heat slowly until all the sugar has dissolved stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Bring to the boil slowly and then time a rolling boil for 13 minutes (make sure you stir with a wooden spoon regularly to stop it catching and burning).
- Take off the heat and test a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate, leave for a couple of minutes and if it crinkles when your finger is pushed through it it’s ready.
- If not boil for 2 more minutes at a time repeating the test.
- Once ready pot up into sterilised jars and put on a clean lid. Makes 2.1 ltrs or 8 jars of varied sizes.
Notes
Sterilise jars by washing or dishwashing, filling with boiling water, emptying and then placing in oven for 20 minutes at 140°C then leave in oven until jam is ready. Wash the lids, sterilise with boiling water and then leave to drain.
tubidy
What a delightful recipe for damson jam! I can’t wait to try it out. As a tip for quick pitting, I like to use a paperclip to push the pit out from the fruit. It speeds up the process and makes it so much easier! Thanks for the inspiration!
Allie
I used this recipe having never made jam before – and I now have jam! I had to adapt ratios for my large damson haul and this was simple to do.
It did take me four hours this time () but I’m sure that with practice I will be able to speed up my fumbling process.
Thanks for a straightforward and clear recipe, I’m sure I will be making more jam in future.
Camilla
That’s so wonderful to hear Allie. Removing the stones does take a long time, especially if you have a bigger haul of Damsons. But it’s kind or therapeutic I find. Hope you make some more of my jam recipes now, I have plenty of them:-)
Sarah
Hello Camilla, I’ve just finished making a batch of damson jam, I make it each year. First time using your recipe and it worked brilliantly. The suggestion of cooking the stones and their remaining fruit separately; before passing through a sieve into the main pan of fruit is a genius hack. It made the process so much simpler. I have never managed to remove them with the Oxo stone pitter. I was delighted to find an alternative method that actually worked. I just cut as much flesh as possible off the stone and put in one pan and put the remaining stones in another as suggested. I used 1kg fruit, 1kg sugar and 300ml of water, it set well after 12 minutes without any need to reboil. Only another 5kg of damsons to go … Thank you Camilla 🙂
Camilla
Thank you Sarah, so glad you like the recipe and have devised a prep method to suit you:-)
Vikki
Last year I had a glut of grapes. And I froze some for my favorite jam to which I always add citric acid and pectin to complete flavors and settability. I picked the grand total of 22 Dawson’s ha ha. Not quite enough to make half a cup of jam so I made a melange of my fruit and the required extra boiling for Damson’s and Hurrahb a greater flavor than I could have hoped for.
,
Camilla
Awesome Vikki, lovely when things just come together like they were meant to be:-)
Sylvia Smith
Hi from New Zealand. The birds got our first crop but I was onto it last year and made some lovely jam. I have beaten them again this year too. The pits were a hassle last year but I will try the microwave and whisk this year.
Camilla
Great Sylvia, so happy that my jam recipe has reached your shores:-)
Judith McLean
Hi Camilla, here in Geelong Australia I have to beat the birds and the large Fruit Bats to my Damsons, always have enough for all of us. So usually pick before they are very ripe. Make great Jam and Plum Chutney. Suggest mixing 1 Kg Plums with 500gr Raspberries, frozen are fine. Makes a delicious Jam. I use 1:1 of sugar.
Camilla
Hi Judith, great to hear from the other side of the world! I have the same problem with my cherry tree but am left with zero fruit:-)
Lee Sharrocks
First time making jam and a little disappointed. Great instructions although for me the seed process yielded little extra. Before I added the sugar the jam tasted lovely and tart but with the addition of sugar I felt there was far too much sweetness and it lost any character. Will try again though and will use 1:1 ratio of fruit:sugar which seems to be fairly standard from what I’ve read.
Camilla
Hi Lee, as your stones didn’t yield much flesh I’m assuming they were a different variety of damson to what I used, perhaps a Merryweather which is the sweetest of the Damson family and might then account for you thinking the jam was too sweet. This is one of my oldest and most popular recipes and no-one else has ever said its too sweet. Another possibility is that we all have varying taste palates (I used to work at Birds Eye Wall’s and was tested for this when I became a voluntary taste tester), so you’re tasting this sweeter than others. So, by all means try it again with the 1:1 ratio:-)
Beate
Damsons taste even better if you’ve found trees in a field and climb over a stone wall to pick them!!
I always have cooked the whole damsons from tree to sink to pot and then when the’re squashed away the stones, gloved up, enjoying the madshiness!thank you for your tip of then cooking stones again for a bit of extra pectin!#lovedamsonjam
Camilla
Yes that sounds fab Beate, a little adventure first always adds to the enjoyment:-) The advantage of pitting first is that you can catch any bad damsons before they join the pot:-)
Paulette
What happens to the skin your jam looks beautiful with no skin in it
Camilla
Hi Paulette, the skins are in there, they just break down quite a bit.
JANE HORAN
I made this jam this afternoon and it was so easy using the cherry pitter. I’ll definitely make some more.
Camilla
Yay, so glad you like the recipe and my pitting hack:-)
Steve
I freeze my Damsons and then after defrosting they are slightly soft, I then cook them with stones in and push the mush through a colander or perforated steel utensil container, leaving the stones behind, i then finish off cooking and adding sugar etc before jarring up, too fiddly to de-stone by hand that’s for sure, plums not so bad .
Camilla
Aah, but it’s so relaxing Steve, while you’re pitting all those Damsons you’re using your hands and brain/eye co-ordination and nothing else matters in the world at the moment. But if speed is an issue I’d prefer to do like in my Mirabelle Plum Jam recipe which I remade yesterday where I just cooked the 2 kg of fruit and used a metal whisk to loosen the stones, spooned them out and then popped the stones in a sieve to get every last bit of juice out of them (will be adding that bit to the instructions). Happy that you have a method that you’re happy with:-)
Angie Wright
I’m hoping to get hold of some damsons this year and make jam. My Grandma used to make it, and she would crack some of the stones with a hammer and remove the kernel to put in the jam. there would probably 5-6 kernels per jar, labour intensive yes. But wow! the gloriously nutty flavour when you got one of those kernels. Excellent idea with the cherry pitter, I’ll bear that in mind.
Camilla
What a lovely story, hope you get hold of those Damsons for a trip down memory lane:-)
Spongemum
Might taste nutty but contains a chemical amalgdalin which coverts to cyanide in our bodies! Not recommended especially with children.
Suzanne
Yes and same with apricot pits, even though they taste great in the jam
Yvonne
Great recipe and great stone tip
Camilla
Thank you Yvonne, so glad you like the recipe and my tip:-)
Susi
Great tip about cooking stones in a little water and then sieving the resulting puree back into the damsons before adding the sugar – so much easier than laboriously sifting them out of the jam later.
Camilla
Thank you Susi, necessity is the mother of all invention as they say:-)
Lou B
Great recipe, my tip for stoning damsons.
Put in microwave for a few minutes only. I did 3 kilos for 5 minutes.
They swell up n soften but don’t cook, then the stones just pop out…..life’s to short for counting ,
Camilla
Thank you Lou:-)
Catherine Hewson
Thankyou, jam is good.
Camilla
So glad you like it Catherine:-)
Helen Gibson
Boil up damsons then put through a clean chip pan basket. Simple. Stones don’t get through
Vicky
If you’re confident that the fruit is ok inside (or don’t care!), I cook my damsons then leave them to cool. Once they’ve cool enough to handle I pop on a pair of rubber gloves (or even go in bare handed) and rummage through for the stones. Once removed, if I want keep the skins, I use a stick blender to blitz the fruit to a purée. Then I carry on as normal for a jam. A stick of cinnamon or star anise is nice added to the fruit as it cooks if you want something a little festive. Just remember to remove with the stones
Emma
I have been making jam with my mum for years now and we always use a slotted spoon in rolling boil to remove the stones. Most of them come up
To the top of the liquid and you can just scoop them out. Never found a stone once in a LOT of jam made! We don’t count them either. Takes too much time!
Camilla
Excellent Emma. My parents’ Damson tree is very old and full of blighted damsons which is why I don’t take any chances. Hence by removing stones I can throw out all the bad ones. If you don’t have that issue then that’s great, I’m just here sharing what I do and everyone can do what they prefer in their kitchens:-)
Cherryll
Can you make damson jam in a bread maker please?
Many thanks
Camilla
Hi Cherryl, making jam in a bread maker is not something I have any experience of but after Googling it seems possible in theory.
Margaret Bray
My damsons were growing in the hedge opposite our cottage. The stones cut out cleanly. Thank you for the recipe as I’m so pleased with my jam.
Camilla
Excellent Margaret, so glad to hear that and lucky you finding them opposite your cottage:-)
Ute Sargent
There are some varieties of damsons which are so-called “freestones”. These release their stones easily and cleanly as you cut them open. Unfortunately the most popular variety “Merryweather” is not one of these. I always count these in the pot and then count the stones out, fishing them out with a slotted spoon. Today’s count was 270….
Camilla
I just know that as my parent’s Damson tree is so very old not all the fruit is “good” so by pitting first I can eliminate the bad damsons.
Moyra Arnott
My damsons look perfect on the outside, but on cutting a couple open they seem to have brown granular flesh round the stone. I think this might be caterpillar ‘poo’ though there’s no sign of any caterpillars. I’m just wondering if it would be ok to use them in a puree or jam, and in a tart. Any advice?
Camilla
This is exactly why I pit damsons before making jam with them. If fruit isn’t good enough to eat raw then it’s not good enough for anything else
Diana
Thank you for your recipe, love that you have timings, they were spot on ,I have just made some Damson Jam, it tastes great
Camilla
Awesome Diana, I like to be as helpful as possible with my recipes. The timings are what worked for me on the day with the fruit that I had so sometimes they differ with readers but they’re a great place to start.
Jen
I made jam yesterday, it is delicious, but what do you do about the skins as I have lots of whole skins adding big lumps into the jam. Would cutting up the damsons before cooking help as the lumps would be smaller? Or is there a better technique? thanks
Camilla
Hi Jen, I’ve never taken issue with the skins in this jam but then there are many different varieties of Damson so perhaps mine are different to yours. Yes halving the damsons would be a good idea if the skins are not to your liking.
Rob C
Hi, I’ve been making jam with home grown strawberries and loganberries for a few years now with reasonable success. I noticed a couple of years ago that we had a couple of young damson trees that had self seeded at the bottom of our garden and immediately thought JAM! Finally got our first crop this year and they were sweet straight off the tree if a little small. I followed your tips and recipe but reduced the sugar because they were so sweet and voila, I have the best jam I’ve ever made and I thought my loganberry was pretty good :). I’ve also made a damson crumble which was delicious too. Do you think the damsons were small and sweet because the trees are so young? Anyway, many thanks for the recipe and tips.
Camilla
Yay, so glad you like the jam! Having done a bit of research it sounds like you may have the Merryweather variety of damson which is sweet enough to eat straight from the tree – have a look at Wikipeadia.
Rob C
Many thanks for the reply. I think you are correct, the pictures online for the Merryweather damson match exactly to what we have in the garden. I would recommend to anyone thinking of buying a damson tree to consider the Merryweather, they really are delicious.
By comparison, I had bought a jar of damson jam by a well-known luxury brand to compare and that had a strange flavour that I assume may be more typical of other varieties of damson. The Merryweather has no such taint but is fruity and sweet. Our good fortune they self-seeded in our garden, apparently they self propagate quite easily.
Have remembered to add the 5 star rating this time 🙂
Camilla
Well I learned something too Rob as had no idea about these sweeter damsons! Thank you for the stars:-)
Amy
Good evening 🙂
We have just moved into our new home and have a beautiful damson tree, we’ve just picked nearly three kilos of fruit but they are very very ripe – is there a possibility of them being too ripe and therefore not being any point in making jam with them do you happen to know ?
Thank you so much, Amy
Camilla
Hi Amy, I’d say if they are good enough to eat (like a very ripe plum) then they’re good enough to make jam. But if you wouldn’t eat them then they won’t make good jam. At least they’ll be easier to pit, you can just squeeze the stone out of the top of each damson. If you struggle to get a set because the pectin levels have dropped due to being so ripe as a back up you could add some lemon juice (about 2 tbsp) at the end if necessary and boil until setting point reached, but hopefully it will be fine without.
Katie Gregory
Hello!
Love your write up on this recipe and looking forward to giving it a go.
I only have jam sugar and wondered if this would be ok to use? I realise Damsons are already high in pectin but am hoping I can still use it!
Camilla
Hi Katie, please don’t use jam sugar unless you want your jam to be like concrete. I only ever used jam sugar once and vowed never to use it again. As you say, Damsons don’t need any added pectin so to use jam sugar would definitely be overkill. Just wait until you can get hold of some granulated sugar.
Rachel
Damson Jam
First attempt at jam making, your recipe was easy to follow with a great result, Thank you.
Camilla
Wonderful Rachel, so happy to hear that you had success on your first attempt:-)
Tony Sanders
I’ve made damson jam for the past few years but saw your recipe and invested in the Oxo Goodgrips stoner as I thought maybe the cheap stoner I had may not be up to the job. This year the damsons are much larger than previous – so had enough for 2 batches. The first batch, I pitted them the same afternoon I picked them and it was so quick and easy – a fraction of the time it took me in previous years. I put the second batch in the fridge and pitted them the following afternoon – and it was nowhere near as easy as the first batch – with all of them having much more pulp stuck to the stone and none coming out with clean stones. Thanks to your tip on cooking the stones, it doesn’t really matter as I ended up with the finished product having all the fruit and pulp in it. I do low sugar (about a quarter of your recipe) due to diabetes and it doesn’t set as thick but is scrumptious. Thanks a lot for the great tips.
Camilla
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback Tony! So glad that my tips have been useful to you:-)
Ali
Sorry for the long post This year is the 1st time our trees have produced plums, having moved here 4 years ago. I used your Apple and blackberry jam recipe then your tutti frutti jam.
I thought I’d give your Damson jam a go as I have so much fruit this year and I want to say thank you it’s lovely. I’m so pleased as I e had problems with over setting but every time I use your recipe it sets like a dream. THANK YOU.
Camilla
Aaw Ali, thank you, that’s so wonderful to hear, so glad you like my jams:-)
WendyS
Thanks for sharing! We make plum jam every year, and we have found the best trick for removing the pits it to place washed whole plums in the freezer for a couple days and then partially thaw. If you can stand cold fingers, it actually helps the pits come out with very little flesh! We keep a bowl of warm water nearby to rewarm our fingers! Just be careful as the semi-frozen plums are slick and roll easily.
Camilla
If the Damsons are ripe you should be able to just give them a squeeze and the stone pops out.
Angela Dickinson
Made this from underipe damsons. It is tarte but I find it to be absolutely delicious and very easy to make. I boiled the Unstoned damsons before adding the sugar. When soft I passed them through a colander, leaving some fruit and the stones behind. I then picked out the stones and reboiled them in enough water to cover them. I then added the cooking water to the fruit and added the sugar. Boiled up for about 12 minutes and got 8 really tasty jars of njam.
Camilla
Excellent, glad you managed to do a work around with unripe damsons, there wouldn’t be any shifting those stones:-)
Barry Cookson
Friends found my damson jam ok but needed something else added…
What’s best way of making damson and blackberry jam please? I did this last year and very popular but improvised….not sure of the best way. I found one recipe with also elderberries and lemon….are lemons really needed? My jam set fine without lemon…
Camilla
Seriously Barry, I’d get new friends – only joking. Theoretically you wouldn’t need to add lemon juice to a damson and blackberry jam as they are both quite high in pectin, however elderberries are low in pectin so that’s probably why that recipe had lemon juice in it. If you’re after an elderberry jam recipe I have a cracking one that I want to make again this year for it’s medicinal qualities.
Susannah
I used a technique I use for greengages – roast them on 180c for 30 mins or so. Let cool and squish the ski pits out into a bowl. I did that in 2kg batches. Can then use for jam/paste/chutney or compote. The roasting also caramelises some of the sugars and adds a lovely depth of flavour. I have also roasted with star anise and cassia with blood plums. Delicious.
Erica Pitt
Hi from New Zealand – I have about 3-4 trees which have a lot of fruit after a good trim in our winter. Can I pick the fruit and wait for them to ripen (in a container/box outside) or is it better to wait until they are all dropping (messy) before making jam? Am also short on time so need to factor in a day of making jam. Many thanks
Camilla
Hi Erica, from memory I believe you need to allow the fruit to ripen on the trees. You don’t need to wait for them to drop but can start picking as soon as they start to drop. I found putting a sheet or blanket on the ground and shaking the branches with a long hoe or similar from the top of a step ladder (with someone holding it) a good way to “pick” the damsons.
Julia
TIp: a really simple way of removing pits is to freeze the whole damsons as soon as picked (after washing and removing stalks). When you’re ready to make the jam, defrost and you will find that you can squidge the pits out easily, if messily, as the damsons are soft. NB: you can also freeze Seville oranges before making marmalade as it makes them much easier to chop (and means you can cook them whenever you want).
Camilla
Thank you Julia. I find if the damsons are ripe the stones squeeze out quite easily too.
Duncan Bradshaw
Hi, I only have stoned damsons, what weight should I aim for?
Camilla
At a guess I would decrease the damson weight by about 75 – 100 grams.
Lynne
I also found that this was the nicest jam I have made yet, tangy and sweet. It was a great tip to use a cherry pitter to get rid of the stones before cooking. Most of them actually popped out quite cleanly too. Just got a bit of a sore wrist after stoning a couple of kilos of damsons! Thank you for the recipe.
Camilla
Thank you Lynne, so glad you like my Damson Jam recipe.
Carol Gibson
Hi, have made the damson jam I used a jam thermometer to check that jam would set. Some jars have some haven’t. Should I return to the pan and boil again?
Kind regards
Carol Gibson
Camilla
Hi Carol, yes you can return the jam to the pan and boil again. Check with the chilled plate method.
Danny
Best way to remove all stones – works every time!
Suspend a steamer basket in your preserving pan / pot so that the top is just above the level of the jam as it is cooking. As the jam boils, the stones will rise to the surface within the rolling boil and will be caught in the steamer basket as the jam boils over the top edge of the basket. The Steamer basket needs to be securely held in place which I do using a couple of G clamps.
John Jones
What to do with the stones in damsons depends rather on whether you want to have the cooked skins in the finished jam. I do, so a sieve, which filters out both, is not ideal. Instead I use a method that allows me to retain the body and texture from the skins but also reliably to lose all of the stones.
Basically I cook the damsons stones-in and then slop the hot jam through a colander when it’s ready. Then having pushed the last bit of syrupy jam through the holes I dump the solids left in the colander onto a plate and set to it with two forks, separating the white-ish stones from the dark purple skins by eye. I do this for about 10 minutes max when I’m dealing with a kilo of fruit and by this time I reckon to have recovered about 70-80% of the original skin for returning to the jam, which seems to me sufficient for the desired effect. I simply make sure those skins are stirred evenly into the jam before I bottle it.
The end result from this method combines the smooth silkiness of the jelly with the soft “bite” of the cooked skin, a bit like those marmalades that have both the jelly and some shreds.
Camilla
Hi John, I think you must have scim read my recipe as I certainly don’t sieve out the skins, that would be a tragedy!
Colleen
Hi, We have a damson tree in our garden and this is the first year it has bore fruit! The plums are just about ripe. I don’t have the pitter tool so should I pop the plums, skins and all, in the water to boil and pick out the stones afterwards? What happens to the plum skins? Do they break down when boiling? Many thanks, Colleen
Camilla
Hi Colleen, you can do it that way. The skins do soften and break up in the process.
heidi
I was given a bag of what they called Damson plums but they are much bigger (wouldn’t fit in a cherry pitter). I would have called what I was given Italian plums. Can this jam be made with what I have? Thanks!
Camilla
Hi Heidi, damsons are quite tart and your plums probably aren’t so I would make something like my Plum & Apple Jam which is glorious: https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/plum-apple-jam/
Vickie
I’ve made many many jams over the years, but never damson. We recently moved to a farm with damson trees. Well I made a batch yesterday, best jam I’ve ever made if I’m honest, I was concerned about how liquidy it looked, but after cooling it’s perfect. Thank you
Camilla
Awesome Vickie, thank you for your lovely feedback, so glad you like the recipe:-) Wish I lived on a farm:-)
gareth batley
Bit surprised as none of the pictures i see here look like the damsons i know. They look more like plums to me. I know damson’s are a plum, but they are small, too small to stone and sour to eat, but make the best jam.. Really plantiful in hedge rows at this time. Collecting mine tomorrow for firth jam of season.
Camilla
Hi Gareth, which cultivar are you familiar with? There are many different varieties and I can’t tell you which one my parents have in their garden as it was there when they moved in. The plums are small enough to fit inside a cherry pitter which should tell you that they are very small and I tried to eat one off the tree the other day and had to spit it out as so sour. They are most definitely damsons from a tree that is over 50 years old and past it’s prime.
Cheryl Wermuth
Were your damsons I face sloes? You mention plentiful in hedgerows which make me wonder.
Camilla
My damsons are from my parents’ garden and most definitely Damsons. Sloes are an all over deep purple and grow on a Blackthorn Bush which has long thorns.
Di
First time maling jam … and it is a hit. Was given the damsons after I said I loved damson jam. I cooked it about a week ago .. one of the hotest days of the year. Making a second batch today!
Camilla
Excellent, so glad you started your jam making journey with one of my jams. Hopefully you’ll try some more or my jams now you’ve got the bug:-)
Nicola
We were given a load of Damsons and my grandma used to make damson jam. I’ve never made jam before but thankfully had a piper (a must) and ordered a strainer. The instructions were brilliant. It tastes just as I remember. Thank you.
Camilla
So glad your first attempt at making jam was with one of my recipes:-) Well done, I do hope this is the start of your jam making journey!
Amber Mcnamara
Hi Camilla,
I’m quite skint at the moment so I’ve been trying to think of homemade gifts for xmas when I found this damson tree (shropshire prune damson I think) round the corner from my house on public land.I look forward to using your recipe.
But I wondered when to pick them. Some are already falling on the ground, they are soft like ripe plums but bugs have gotten most of them. There are lot of damsons higher on the tree but if I pick them too early they’ll be sour? Or can I pick them and let them ripen in a fruit bowl? Or does it not matter if they’re tart as it’ll be countered by sugar? Many thanks, Amber
Camilla
Hi Amber, I’ve only ever used the plums that I can shake off the tree or pick if within reach. I remember standing on a ladder with a hoe to shake the branches and had a blanket on the ground to catch most of the plums, only the ripe ones will drop. So no don’t use any bug ridden ones already on the ground. I’ve never picked unripe plums but I imagine like the ones you get in the shops they would ripen but hopefully you would get enough ripe ones by shaking the branches.
ernest linstead
I HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 16 YEARS AND THE DAMSON TREE AT THE TOP OF MY ROAD HAS NEVER BEEN VERY FRUITFUL BUT THIS YEAR I HAVE HAD SO MANY I HAVE HAD TO LEAVE SOME ON THE TREE.THEY TASTE WONDERFUL!
Camilla
Excellent Ernest:-) Did you make my jam?
Barry
I used frozen damsons and left covered overnight. Best to freeze on flat surface. I used wrinkle test and colander to remove fruit and stones. Some leave these in I know. Looking to add ginger or chilli next time. Like you left these alone in garden for 35 years. Lock down has strange effects eh?
Camilla
Great Barry! Oh this recipe is several years old, my parents currently have Damsons all over their lawn but 2020 has not been a good year all round so I won’t be going over to salvage any this year as fighting too many fires right now!
Sandy
Hi I am thinking of buying a Damson tree
do you have a preference as to which one is best. I prefer a quite tart jam
Thank you
Sandy
Camilla
Hi Sandy, I’m afraid I’ve never bought a Damson tree, I used the fruit from my parents very old tree and it was there when they bought their house.
Wendy
Can I use frozen damsons as I have lots of them in freezer. & if so what weight to sugar ratio.
Camilla
Hi Wendy, I haven’t to date used frozen fruit to make jam but have researched enough to know that it’s doable and just slightly inferior to using fresh fruit. If it was me I’d use the damsons from frozen and stick to the same weight ratio as for fresh.
W pends Grant
Reading your recipe as I have a box of damsels that need to become jam. My mother always made damsel jam this time of year. I am pleased to see you use the pips as Mum said they had value in the whole process. She would cook the whole plums intact. As they cooked the pip would separate and she would scoop them out. She never got them all and we kids loved getting a pip. It was very special and the kid with the most, won!
Camilla
What a lovely food memory. Did you play “Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor” with the stones, that’s what we used to do with any stoned fruits:-)
Joanne
Hi.. I’ve just picked a load of damsons this morning and can’t wait to make your recipe, when I plum plum jam last week I used a knob of butter to avoid frothing, can you do same with this recipe? X
Camilla
You shouldn’t need any butter as I don’t remember a froth on this jam but if you get some and can’t skim it off then you could add a knob of butter (as with any jam). But on the whole I don’t find the need.
Rachel
Hi, I just made this jam. I got confused with the weight of sugar ratio to damsons so I added about 30g more to the stoned weight & it tasted fine. It did take longer to make than the time suggested because I wasn’t sure if it was setting or not so I had to keep re-boiling. I used Kilner jars that have now steamed up so I’m worrying that I should have let it cool before sealing. Fingers crossed!
Camilla
Hi Rachel, adding 30 g more sugar won’t really matter. You definitely put lids on while the jam is hot, I’ve never noticed steam as the jars are usually filled up so high that I don’t notice it.
Linda Hodges
I live in the US. Could you convert the recipe into cups. I do
not have a food scale.
Camilla
Hi Linda, I’m afraid you just can’t accurately convert a weight to a volume. I tried measuring cups of blueberries yesterday and depending on the size of the blueberries there was a 20 gram difference in just the first 2 cups I weighed. So scale that up and you get a big error in the total weight that should be used and as jam is something where you want precised measurements I wouldn’t give out misinformation because this would affect the success of my recipe. I read last night on Facebook that Walmart sell inexpensive digital scales when someone in a preserving group flagged up that wasn’t it time all measurements of fruit and veg should be in weights and not cups. I promise you won’t look back if you buy a set. Plus it’s so much easier to tip all of your ingredients into one large bowl whether it’s flour or fruit. My blueberries were rolling off my counter and onto the floor when I was trying to pour them into a cup.
Buddy’s mummy
This looks like an easy jam to make! I’ve got a couple of damson trees which yield plenty of fruit (still eating last year’s damson chutney!) and am going to have a go at this when the fruit are ripe.
As a complete novice jam maker, I wondered what Camilla thinks about a fig, damson and blackberry jam – my figs are green and look less than appetising even though they taste nice. I wondered if mixing them with darker fruit. Any suggestions for the quantities a person might need to make this concoction?
Camilla
Hi Buddy, I really can’t imagine those flavours going together. If your figs taste good then I’d just make my fig jam. https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/simple-fig-jam/
Nannette
When I initially left a comment I seem to
have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now
whenever a comment is added I get 4 emails with the exact same comment.
Is there a way you are able to remove me from that service?
Appreciate it!
Camilla
Hi Nannette, is there a message at the bottom of the e-mail about unsubscribing or managing your account. I haven’t seen my own e-mails but I get them when I’ve commented on other people’s blogs and was just sorting things out via an e-mail this morning.
Lisa - Allotmenteer
The Damson de-stoning tip is the best tip I have come across for ages, Many thanks for this it will cut down my de-stoning time next year. I find Damsons such a lovely fruit and have a big tree at my allotment so I’m always a little disheartened when loosing so much flesh. Not any more!!
Camilla
Thank you Lisa, I thought it was a light bulb moment:-)
James H
Just tried this recipe for my first ever foray into jam making – we moved into a new house and discovered a damson tree growing wild in the field behind the house and it is dripping with ripe damsons. Followed the instructions and wow, it worked – it even set! So delicious. Thank you.
Camilla
Yay, so pleased it worked for you and thank you for letting me know:-) Hopefully you will try some of my other wonderful jams now;-)
Jim Appleton
Thank you for your great article and advise. My story is, I used a potato masher to separate the stones from the flesh whilst in the pan- the wire S shaped type. It does a brilliant job without shredding the skins and leaving them more or less whole. I gently heated the 6lb of fruit with stones to release the pectin. The longer and slower its heated the more pectin is released which in turn means adding less sugar to help it set. I then spooned batches out onto a dinner plate which made it very easy to remove the stones. After I had done the whole lot it all went back into the pot to be heated with the sugar. Not very time consuming at all. I did a couple cold plate tests so I didn’t add too much sugar. I also used organic sugar which is slightly brown just for my own quirky personal taste. I have made over 40 jars so far and each time I have used less sugar with great effect.
Camilla
Thanks for sharing Jim. Just a word of caution not to skimp on the sugar too much as it will affect the keeping quality of your jam.
JIM
That’s more valuable advise thank you very Camilla.
Camilla
Pleasure:-)
Avril
I have 18 lbs of damsons to make jam.can I double or treble your recipe.
Camilla
Hi Avril, the issue with doubling or trebling a jam recipe is that you can end up with a jam that won’t set or that boils over the sides. So you could more than likely get away with upping the fruit to 2 kg which I use in my Mirabelle Plum Jam. The other solutions would be to use more than one pan or freeze the rest of your damsons for later use.
Maye
Thanks for your helpful tips! Looking forward to trying your recipe.
I see you don’t use preserving sugar, which I thought was advisable for damsons? Does it really not matter?
Camilla
I used preserving sugar in my very first jam and seriously didn’t like the stiff set it gave so ever since I have just used lemon juice or relied on the natural pectin levels in fruit. So no you don’t need preserving sugar in this recipe!
Annie
Is the weight of damsons given in ingredients with or without stones
Camilla
Hi Annie, the weight is for the damsons including the stones.
Annie
Thank you Camilla. The recipe worked beautifully and the result is delicious!
Camilla
Yay, so glad you like it:-)
Sally
I am fortunate to have an Aga and I put the damsons in the large tray and in the top oven for about 10 mins until they ‘smile’. I let them cool a little and then with either teaspoons or fingers I pop the stones out and keep them for the boil in a muslin cloth. I have made this jam as a ‘cheese’ (liquidized) as a jam for most of my life and it is very popular with family and B&B guests! Occasionally a stone is missed and you can hear it in the liquidizer so I use a perforated spoon to eject it, or it will float in the boil and can be removed..
Gayle Bullen
Hello I followed your recipie last year and produced some lovely jam that disappeared in no time, all the family loved it! We have a damson tree in our garden and we had only moved last summer so one thing I remember is a lot of the plums were already starting to spoil by September when I’d finally had chance to pick them…. when is the best time to pick them generally? Would they be ripe enough now?
Thankyou
Camilla
Hi, I’m glad you like the recipe. I’m afraid fruit seems to ripen at different rates all over the country so couldn’t say when your Damsons would be ready to pick. Once the Damsons come away from the stalk easily they are ripe and ready for picking and they’ll also start to drop onto the ground. My parents have a Damson tree and they haven’t mentioned ripe Damsons to me yet so I’m sure theirs aren’t ready yet. When they are we tend to put a sheet down on the ground beneath the tree and one of us will go up a ladder and shake the branches to get the highest damsons to drop:-)
Edna Southey
Hello everyone
I’m from Zimbabwe. Have been here for 18 years. I have always made jams and marmalade. I love all these ideas on making Damson jam. I have been foraging fo Damsons while dog walking. I’m going to try the idea of freezing for a few days.
Thanks
Camilla
Great Edna, love free fruit! Do let us know how you get on!
Steve Mortimer
I find freezing damsons for a few days helps to release the stone from the fruit, upon thawing make a Nick in the flesh at one end and squeeze, the stone should pop out!
Camilla
Thanks for sharing your tip with us Steve:-)
Margaret Gallagher
INSPIRING me – THANKYOU my jam COLLECTION will be brill this year
Camilla
Excellent Margaret:-)
John Winston
Dying to get my hands on some damsons….. I have a Victoria plum tree in my garden from which I make delicious jam. I find it easy to stone the plums if they are frozen for a couple of days and then thawed out. I let the finished jam actually tasted better than the non-frozen! I wonder if this could apply to damsons? Thanks for this inspiring recipe! John.
Camilla
Thanks for sharing John. I’m afraid I have no idea as have never tried this method.
Angela
Best advise I was given is to count your fruit in and count your stones out.
So if you put 20 damsons in, make sure you get 20 stones back out of the pan, so easy!
Jacquie Hobbs
Hi my damsons are over ripe as had to leave them when picked for a few days and the skins are splitting. Are they still ok to make some jam with? I really don’t want to waste them they are native Shropshire damsons/plums featured on country file!!!. Thankyou
Camilla
Hi Jacquie, jam is best made with slightly under-ripe or just ripe fruit so if you use these Damsons the quality of the jam won’t be as good as it should be and the pectin levels will have decreased. It’s your call really.
albert johnson
Hi Just been given bag full of damsons read your recipe & comments. Can I use a automatic bread maker instead of stainless saucepan
Camilla
Hi Albert, I have no idea as I’ve never made jam in a bread maker. There must be a way of converting the recipe but I’m afraid I can’t help on that one! Plus you need a very large saucepan the size of a preserving pan.
albert johnson
Thanks Camilla Book I got with my bread maker gives recipe for plum jam & other fruits so will give it a go
will let you know results
Albert
Camilla
I look forward to hearing about it Albert:-)
Mike
The damsons I will use to make both Jam and Damson Gin have “blotches” on the skins. Will this cause problem?
Camilla
I avoid imperfect looking Damsons. Last year my parents’ crop were all blotchy with little brown wood patches so I didn’t make jam with them. This year after some feed the tree had much better fruit on on so I used and discarded any imperfect looking ones. So the answer is, I wouldn’t but not having ever done it I can’t say how it would turn out but imagine that woody skin in jam would not be pleasant. I can’t help you on the gin front I’m afraid but I imagine you don’t eat the skin in that so might be better?
Janet
When you say 1.5kg damsons, stoned, is that the stoned or pre-stoned weight?
Camilla
It’s 1.5 Kg of damsons then you stone them otherwise it would say 1.5 Kg stoned damsons:-)
Jean
I do not know if anyone else has commented on the fact that your pictures are not damsons but purple PLUMS
Camilla
Hi Jean, the Damsons are from my parent’s tree which they’ve had in their garden for 43 years (tree is much older) and I was up a ladder shaking them off the branches with a hoe and my dad helping. Sadly I can share a still of the tree, ladder and blanket here:-)
Jackie
hi your jar of jam in the picture looks as though it has no skin in. How do you overcome that
Camilla
Hi Jackie, there is nothing to overcome, just follow the recipe and your jam will look the same, the skin is all in there but as the plums are so tiny they don’t dominate the jam.
Darren
Needed a recap as I only made my first ever Jam 2 years ago, Damson and Chilli Jam. Picked a load today. Thanks for your info
Camilla
Thanks Darren, good luck:-)
Janice
why not let Cooked plums cool then using clean rubber gloves remove stones, just to add I’m not intending to make my jam immediately but need to cook the plums.
This is my first attempt of ever making jam. Would the mixture be ok to freeze at this stage?
Camilla
Hi Janice, you can by all means remove the stones with a slotted spoon whilst jam is still hot but you would not allow the jam to cool as it needs to be potted up whilst still hot and sealed immediately. I would not want to put rubber gloves in jam as it could taint the flavour. I have never frozen jam and once thawed I don’t think it lasts nearly as long as “normal” jam as I have recently come across this phenomenon in a US canning group. So you’d probably need to check a US recipe for the best practices for making jam for the freezer.
Michelle Harrison
Thanks for sharing. I made jam from this recipe a couple of days ago from the my damson tree, and we can’t stop eating it! I’m about to make a second batch. The only downside was that I decided to painstakingly stone the damsons by hand as there are always a few that are rotten or have grubs, but the end result was worth it.
Camilla
Hi Michelle, glad you like the jam! Yes pitting beforehand I think is important to catch those odd rotten plums, using the cherry pitter is a really quick way to do this!
Kate - gluten free alchemist
That’s funny…. I use exactly the same method to de-stone olives!
We too have a damson tree in our garden. It grew from damsons dropped from the neighbours tree along with loads of other small trees that we regularly have to pull up! They are a bit pesky and I too am ashamed to say I have never actually used the fruit for anything other than irritating the lawnmower. Mad really…. I love damsons….. The jam may be a perfect solution!
Camilla
Oh I do hope you try this jam then, such a shame to let the Damsons go to waist.
Pamela
Hi Camilla,
It may be easier to bring damsons to boil (with stone in) allow to cool then remove before continuing as described. Felt very sorry for young women who stoned damsons raw! She must have the patience of a saint
P x
Camilla
Hi Pamela, yes that is a way of doing it but I prefer this way and am in fact making this jam again tomorrow. I found when I was stoning the fruit many of the plums looked fine on the outside but were in fact rotten or had been attacked by insects so I’d rather be in a position to throw these rogue plums away than have them spoil my jam. With the cherry pitter that I mentioned it was a slightly less arduous task.
Wendy
Discovered a damson tree in my new garden, laden with fruit and found your recipe for my first time making damson jam. Thank you! Just delicious. Only problem is I have stained fingers from stoning the fruit!
Camilla
Thanks Wendy, so glad you like the jam, I’m waiting for my parents’ Damsons to ripen so that I can make more and re-shoot this recipe:-)I was about to suggest latex gloves for another time but I’m on a mission to cut down on waist plastic and protect the environment so won’t LOL:-)
Tracy Nixon
I love making jam to give as a gift! This recipe sounds lovely thanks!
Camilla
Thanks Tracy:-)
Annie Darley
Hi Camilla
I am just about to make some damson jam. When weighing the fruit, do we take the fruit, plus the stones, into consideration or should we stone the fruit and then weigh up to the requirement?
Camilla
Hi Annie, unless stated the weights of the fruit in my jams is always the weight of the whole fruit (ie not after preparation). I’m all for an easy life:-) x
Paul Wilson
Not too long until damson season.
Maya Russell
I think we have a damson tree. They look small like these ones. And we usually get a glut so I’ll be making jam!
Camilla
Excellent:-)
Jane Davies
I’ve never tried it either ! Looks lovely though 🙂
Camilla
Thank you Jane, think it’s my most popular recipe or very close to my Blackberry and Apple Jam – they fight for top spot each year!
Anne Dalzell
Do you know i’ve never even tasted Damson jam…. now where to find some Damsons?
Camilla
Well I’ll let you into a secret, nor had I until I made it:-)
Farhana
Looks deslish
kayleigh white
You cannot beat homemade jam!
Richard
Hi Camilla,
I have made damson jam for many years, In fact I am making some tomorrow from frozen fruit! Anyway, looking at your damsons, I would say that they are not yet ripe. They should be soft, good to eat and and be dark blue in colour. There is quite a lot of green on yours!
Your pitting would work better then too with the fruit that much softer. Admittedly, I spoon the pips out of the jam when I’m cooking them.
All the best,
Richardx
Camilla
Good luck and thank you for visiting my recipe:-)
Alison Turner
That looks lovely one of my favourite jams but not such a popular fruit now as it used to be sadly.
Alison
Don’t know what I did wrong but there was no way that the stones from all this damsons was going to cook with 20 mls of water! Started to burn straight away. I put them in muslin bag and cooked them with damsons. Very successful!
Camilla
I can only think that the heat was on too high if they burned straight away as you’re the first to mention this. Glad you found a way round it though:-)
Sean
Should be 20cl not ml, I would imagine..
Camilla
No that is the correct amount:-)
gary price
Have a had a bumper crop of damson this year and normally make around d 3 ltrs of damson gin
Have just followed your recipe with my surplus and made jam for the first time
It’s delicious thank you
Gary
Camilla
Brilliant, so glad it worked well for you especially as it was your first time:-) Hope you’ll check out my other fab jam recipes:-)
Lesley
Just got some Damson Gin nurturing.
Jane Stubbs
Just made this jam. Your recipe was really easy to follow for someone who has never made jam before. It worked well and the jam is yummy. Thanks
Camilla
So glad it worked well for you, hopefully you’ll carry on now you’ve got the bug:-)
Anita Carruthers
Hi, I’ve been given a big bag of damsons and was looking on the internet to get a recipe for jam and have come across yours, which has some really good comments. Do you need to use a preserving pan or will a stainless steel saucepan do?
Camilla
Hi, I don’t have a preserving pan but do use a very high sided deep stainless steel pan which is of a similar size. This is the most popular post on my blog right now but it has stiff competition from my Blackberry & Apple Jam:-) I believe in making things as fuss free as possible without compromising on the quality of the end product. Good luck and do let me know how you get on:-)
Nicole
Thank you for the recipe. The jam is just delicious !, I have a kendwood mixer with a sieve attachment and used that to get rid of the stones after cooking the fruits, so much easier!…
Camilla
Thank you;-) I have a Kenwood but have not seen the sieve attachment ever! Would be good if like grapes Damsons could be stoneless LOL!
Irene Wright
reminds me of when we were kids and there wasn’t much money around in our house. Every kind of spare fruit was made into jam and plums, gooseberries, rhubarb comes to mind. thanks for the memories.
Jo
By the way I was meant to tap 5 stars for this recipe! But my iPhone wouldn’t let me.
Many thanks
Jo
Camilla
Thank you, it does seem to have struck a chord with many people:-)
Jo
Just made this yummy jam with local Sussex damsons that a neighbour was giving away from their garden :)Thank you for the recipe!
This is the first time I have made jam and used some old jam pots I had- i did sterilise them, but the lids are already ‘popped’ and worried they haven’t sealed properly.
They are currently cooling on the side. Not sure what to do now…apart from eat it 🙂
How long will the jam last? Do I refrigerate it?
Many thanks
Jo
Camilla
Hi Jo
I’m not sure what you mean about the lids having popped. The vacuum forms in the jar as the jam cools. I have never looked at my lids and would have no way
of knowing if they’d “popped” unless they were special ones with a manufacturer’s “popping dimple” on them. Here’s a link to an article in The Daily Mail which you may find useful about keeping jam etc http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2718301/Do-really-need-ketchup-fridge-And-jam-mayonnaise-pickle-The-answers-surprise-you.html . I tend to keep my opened jams in the fridge but sometimes I’ve found that it makes the jam a bit too stiff so as long as you use a clean spoon to serve each time then I keep certain flavours out on the counter. Unopened jam should be kept in a dark cool cupboard and should keep for over a year but mine never lasts that long and I tend to give lots away:-) Not sure I’ve answered your question but hopefully the jars will be sealed once fully cold!
jenny
Just made abatch on a wet bank holiday afternoon! Excellent recipe, Now pancakes and damson jam for tea!
Camilla
Excellent, so glad you like it:-)
jenny
Excellent recipe. Just made a batch to pass a wet bank holiday afternoon . Pancakes and damson jam for for tea
boatman
Excellent recipe, just enough information and works perfectly.
Camilla
Thank, so glad you liked it:-)
June Etherington
I love damsons but I’ve never made jam with them. I will now.
Camilla
Do let me know how you get on:-)
bev
Great waste-avoiding idea to simmer the stones!
Ursula Hunt
Homemade jam on warm fresh crusty bread- delicious
Heather Haigh
Damson jam is one of my all time favouries, but one I haven’t had for years sadly. Wondering where I can get some damsons…
Paul Wilson
Not very often you seem damsons these days, which is a shame because it makes an interesting change.
Camilla
I’ve never seen them for sale!
Nova
You have to go to Somerton in Somerset – wonderful shop there which sells lots of local produce including the most fabulous damsons for 50p per 500g!! Needlesstosay I am about to make jam, and thought I’d look internet to see if there is anything new about damson jam making since I last made any. Taking out the stones with cherry/olive toner is a brilliant new angle. Many thanks.
Camilla
Thank you! Those Damsons are a bargain! My parent’s tree is getting past it’s prime so I didn’t bother with it’s Damsons this year! The stones are a pain and at least if you pit the Damsons first you can throw away any rogue rotten ones which I found useful!
Bev
Looks yummy!
Camilla
Thank you:-)
Paul Wilson
Damson jam is really nice.
Londa Perry
Why do you have to put plates in freezer – what are these used for
Thanks.
Camilla
When jam is hot it’s a liquid but whe cold and boiled for the right amount of time it sets, so this is how you test:-) If it’s still runny on a cold plate you know you need to boill for longer.
MARK COLOMBUS
Looks so Yummy!!!
Susan Elaine Carter
Had a little chuckle over the ‘windfalls’ as I used to ‘scrump’ these when I was a kid so my mother could make Damon jam.
I hasten to add that I buy them these days.
Camilla
I’ve never seen a Damson for sale, think they are quite rare these days!
Rachel
Oh dear, my jam does not seem to be setting! I keep boiling it fora further 2 minutes, but have been doing this for a while now – please help x
Camilla
Depending on how ripe or unripe the Damsons were will determine the set – try putting the plate in the fridge for a couple of minutes after each boil – you only need a slight gel consistency for it to be ready – it shouldn’t be too stiff at this stage. Hope you win through.
Rachel
Thank you so much. I have filled my jars anyway, so we will wait and see. It tastes amazing, even if it is on the runny side 🙂 x
Camilla
Do let me know how it turns out. I prefer runny jam to stiff jam any day of the week:-) If it stays runny you can always use it as a compote for desserts like rice pudding, semolina, ice cream etc:-)
Rachel
Still runny, but still delicious – especially on croissants! I think maybe the fruit was over-ripe, as they were blown from our trees in the winds? Never mind, my labels will now be for ‘Damson Compote’ – what a brilliant idea, thank you for all your help and advice x
Camilla
Aah, yes mine were picked from the tree, you probably needed the help of the juice of a lemon and then have boiled it up with the lemon skins too to help up the pectin levels. But glad you’re enjoying it regardless, there’s nothing wrong with Damson Compote:-)
Robin Clay
Just harvested some hedgerow damsons, and shall start on the jam-making shortly.
Alas ! Last year “they” felled the adjacent, more prolific, damson tree as it overhung the public footpath.
Sadly, they do take a long time to bear fruit:-
“He who plants plums
Plants for his sons.
He who plants damsons
Plants for his grandsons.”
Camilla
How lovely, I’ve never heard that rhyme before. It’s amazing the love for damsons out there, even chatted to a stranger in the supermarket just now about them:-)
Pam
I still have damson jam from both last years batch and recently found one from 2 years ago. I have found the jam really intensifies with age and the flavour seems to get even better.
We store our jam and chutney in our brick garage inside cardboard boxes and it really does keep well.
We have just made “Delia’s spiced damson chutney” last week with having a glut of damsons this year and it is AMAZING! She says to keep for at least 3 months but we had a little left over and have eaten it already with cheese. We’ll definitely be making this every year now along with our jam 🙂
Camilla
Thank you, that’s good to know:-)
Jill Bhatia
Can I make the jam, let it cool and then put in plastic containers in the freezer? Will freezing affect the taste or texture of the jam? I do not have a cool place in which to store the sterilized jars.
Camilla
No. Just keep it in a cupboard in your kitchen and it will be fine as long as it is not warm eg next to an Aga cooker.
Rachel
So you leave the skins on?? Do you not need to sieve the jam before bottling??
Camilla
No just as the recipe says, no sieving:-)
Lisa
How long does this jam keep for???
Camilla
I googled and found that home-made jam can last for up to 3 years in a cool, dark place. But I don’t imagine any jam would ever not be eaten before then:-)
Sue
You can buy damsons from farms in the Lyth Valley in Cumbria near Kendal. I recently bought 8lbs for £9.60 and froze them. Today I am attempting to make some jam!
Camilla
Great, do let me know how you get on:-)
Pam
We only discovered damsons 2 years ago in the hedgerows near our static caravan in Shropshire. We had to ask someone what they were then picked a bag full and made our first batch of damson jam. It tasted amazing, like nothing we have tasted before and we were hooked on damsons there and then and managed to get a few more lb to make more jam and damson gin and damson vodka too!
We now look forward to every September when we can pick some damsons and this year has been prolific for them. All our friends and family ask for our damson jam and we give jam, chutney and damson gin out as Xmas presents which everyone loves.. We add a slug of gin to our jam just before bottling and I have to say we only use about half the amount of sugar as we prefer it more tart than sweet.
We all need to start re-planting damson trees in our gardens so this wonderful unknown fruit doesn’t disappear 🙂
Camilla
Yes you’re right. Husband says he used to love shop bought Damson Jam as a kid but I don’t think it’s available anymore. Must have fallen out of fashion over the years which is a shame. There is a huge passion for Damsons it seems so maybe the tide will turn in their favour again and more trees will be planted to meet the demand!
Jackie Harradine
I think Damson jam is one of the best, but the stones are almost impossible to get out. I’ve found a quick and easy way to do this. Bring to the boil the Damsons and some water and then simmer for about an hour until the Damsons are really soft. Get out your vegetable colander and check that the stones are too big to go through the holes. Pour the Damsons into the colander and then swish round, pressing against the side of the colander with a wooden spoon. Metal sieves do the job as well but take forever. Using a colander it’s only a few minutes.
Camilla
Do you not loose the skins from the jam with this method?
Ray
Will be making my third batch of jam this year in the morning, also made 4 gallons of damson wine last week.
plenty of damsons this year following 2 years without.
Trees can be found in old hedgrows in Shropshire, they used to be grown commercially to make a dye. Probably too expensive to pick for sale.
Family always made jam especially durinf the war. Pantry shelves are creaking.
Youngsters say it is easier to buy jam, but never refuse mne.
Camilla
You can’t beat home made jam, there’s just no comparison is there? Plus the satisfaction making it is something you just can’t buy:-)
Kathy Bennett
Hi, I live in Cheshire and was interested to read of them being grown commercially there. They were also grown for the use of dyeing here in Cheshire and there are still numerous damson trees in the area. I was given a damson tree some years ago (known locally as bullaces) and now my garden is overrun with them as the fruits have self-seeded new trees. I have donated some to a local arboretum to form a hedge but would be willing to donate some more to anyone who wants one. The only catch being you would have to dig it up yourself! Apparently to crop them, a cart was pulled behind horses and contained a large cloth held by several people, whilst another worker shook the tree and the damsons were caught in the cloth.
Apologies for the odd flow of this…typing on very small screen!
Camilla
Fascinating Kathy. The picking method sounds not dissimilar from they way I harvested these with my dad, we had a sheet on the ground and I was up a ladder with a hoe shaking and whacking the branches:-)
emma speers
MMMM yum just love making jam… my next door neighbour grows grapes and i get lots in my garden but they are so bitter, make beautiful jam though!
Joycelin
Have just had 2 large bags of damsons delivered by my lovely neighbours – gave a jar of freshly made blackberry/apple jam in exchange – with a promise from me to provide a jar of Damson jam and a tipple of Damson Gin! Not having made damson jam before I have been searching for a recipe and yours is excellent – the ONLY ONE that gives the weight to be used of ‘stoned’ damsons. Can’t wait to try it out.
Camilla
Aaw, thank you so much for your kind words – good luck with the jam making:-)
Sue
Made damson jam for first time yesterday, did everything the reciepe said, this moring there is slight mould on the top of small jar?, WHY ?, can I scrap off will the jam last
Camilla
I’ve never heard of mould growing that quickly, are you sure it’s not scum? If it is mould, you can scrape away about 1cm depth and the rest of the jam will be fine.
cobweblil
I’ve never tried Damsons before so this would be a first lol
maddymad
would love to try making jam lovely recipe
stacycmcbryde
Loving this recipe, my gran has a Damson tree in her back garden and we never know what to do with them! We give them away every year to friends and neighbours, I will certainly be using this recipe to make my own preserves – it will be nice to give jars or jam to friends and neighbours!
Camilla
Great, glad to have helped:-)
Veronica
Instead of trying to take out all the small stones, try making some Damson Jelly. I make damson jelly every year, it is very easy to make but does take some extra time straining the fruit through a muslin bag (or a pair of tights/clean j-cloth).
there are various recipes if you do a search for Damson Jelly. BBC Good food have one, although the addition of lemons is unnecessary.
And I agree with you, it makes a lovely Christmas present.
justine
do you think if when the damsons are cooked, if you put them in the salad spinner and spun, it would separate the stones from the flesh? I have a bucket of damsons and going to make jam and perhaps infuse some in gin?
Camilla
I don’t think that would work as the gaps would get clogged with the skins as well as the stones. Good luck with your exploits:-)
Stacey D
Lovely recipe will surely give this a try
Jessica Cocks
This sounds delicious – really fancying tea and scones right now!!
vivian allman
this is my fave all time…..
Manorama
I have just been given a bag of damsons & looking for recipes, came across yours which I shall try.
It’s funny you bypassed the damsons, did you never try even one while you chomped on the other fruit & did your mother ignore them too?
Camilla
It’s a very wirey spindly specimen squashed in by other trees so never remember eating them or my mum doing anything with them as a kid. My parents might have another story of course:-)
Xin
Looks great, a little bit too sweet though.
sunshineaftertherain
the damson jam looks delicious and loved the pictures you included but it looks to much work for me to try making it as im the only one in im family who liked jam 🙂
melanie allen
first jam the kids ever made its soooo yummy and easy
Margaret Scrivener
Went out today to collect blackberies and found 2 small damson trees absolutely loaded with fruit, wil definately ry your recipe.
Camilla
Great, let me know how you get on:-)
Janice Rowstron
I have a damson tree, when are they ready to pick for making jam?
Camilla
When they are ripe, some of mine where on the under-ripe side but then that’s good for pectin levels:-)
Paul Wilson
I love homemade damson jam. Not many damson trees around here though.
paperwrist
this looks so good there is nothing better than Jam and I am always look for flavours I have not yet tried 🙂 Thank you !
Laura H
Gorgeous recipe, the result looks beautiful! Wish, wish, wish I was better at jam making!
kay adeola
This looks yummy i have not made jam for a long time but have lots of different berries around so maybe something for the weekend 🙂
Hazel Rea
Haven’t eaten damson jam for years – it is lovely. I was surprised you only had to boil it for 13 minutes rather than the ages jams can take but I suppose that’s because of the amount of pectin in them. (When we make blackberry jam we cheat by using jam sugar which only needs a four minute boil and saves a lot of time and testing on cold plates.)
Dave
I have always found the best way of removing the stone from plums and damsons is to freeze them then defrost them , they will the be soft and you just push the stone out through the fruit. Then make the jam
Camilla
That’s another great tip, thank you so much for sharing. I’ll try that next time I want to cook with Damsons:-)
ClaireG
Ooh I am sat here lusting after that crumpet – the jam looks fab! Funnily enough my gran mentioned damson jam the other day and bemoaned the stone issue and I said she should use a pitter! Great minds think alike 🙂
Jane Willis
It looks lovely. I haven’t made damson jam for years, since my little local greengrocer closed down – unless you are lucky enough to know somebody with a tree, they are almost impossible to get hold of. Although I’m not giving up hope yet: this week I’ve found greengages and Victoria Plums in the shops so maybe our traditional fruits are beginning to make a comeback.
Camilla
Thank you Jane. I have seen Greengages and Victoria Plums for sale every year in my local supermarket but have never seen a Damson for sale. Maybe farm shops might have them?
Linzi
Looks like you got a good set on the jam 😉
Jane English @ Family Clan Blog
This will probably another winner for the shows next year. Not managed to make any jam myself this year, but hopefully will be able to get back to it next year.
I love damsons, when I was growing up we used to have a tree in the garden at cottage. We had most fruit trees that can be grown eaasily up here, have you tried gooseberry jam? I made it about five or six years ago, after a few pulled faces the kids tried it & no jam left in a couple of weeks!
Camilla
Thanks. No I’ve not had a gooseberry since I was a kid!
shaheen
I am so envious that you have damsons. I’ve yet to find them, I wish I could try some.
Camilla
Aaw, wish I could help!
euphoriabuzz
If you leave it for a year before opening it ferments slightly and you get fizzy jam, very nice.
Clare Webb
Looks wonderful!
Jacqueline
It looks gorgeous Camilla. I’ve never tried damson jam before, so I can’t quite capture the flavour in my mind.
Camilla
Thanks Jac, I hadn’t had it before either, it’s kind of sweet and tart at the same time:-)
Jayne T
I remember having a big Damson tree near us when I was a kid, I used to pick them and sell them to the local farm shop. Your recipe is a great way to use up all those damsons, I just need to find a damson tree.
Camilla
Well that was initiative:-) I do hope you find another damson tree!
DANIELLE VEDMORE
All these Jam posts are making me want to overcome my jam-o-phobia! They always look delicious and you make it seem so easy to do!
Camilla
Thank so much, but it is really easy and practise makes perfect:-)
Laura@howtocookgoodfood
Oh this does sound perfect as I have access to many damsons down at the allotment. Will certainly use your recipe when I get round to making some jam, looks great!
Camilla
Thanks Laura and do let me know how you get on:-)
Anneli (Delicieux)
Lovely jam, lovely story too. That poor Damson tree, ignored for so long and now have a come back with this fab jam! What a happy feeling to put these lovely little plums to such good use. Your jam looks great and great tips on getting the stones out. Thanks for entering this into Four Seasons Food! xx
Camilla
Thank you Anneli. Yes the poor Damson Tree has been ignored and could do with a good pruning as she is somewhat wirey and over-grown, which is why I had to stand on the top of a step ladder to reach some of the plums with a fishing net but then found shaking the branches worked better:-)
Javelin Warrior
I never realized how small damson plums are! If they’re tiny enough to be pitted by a cherry pitter, then they really are tiny… I love the color of the jam – such a vibrant ruby-red… Just lovely, Camilla!
Camilla
Thanks Mark, yes they are just a thin layer of plum around a small stone, I think they need a re-design really:-)
Elizabeth
Sounds intriguing! I’ve never tried a damson fruit before (I have honestly never even heard of them before this!) What a lovely coloured jam though. Thanks for sharing with the Credit Crunch Munch!
Camilla
Thanks:-) They are just tiny plums Elizabeth, amazed you’ve not heard of them before but maybe they don’t grow on Shetland.
Elizabeth
Hardly anything grows on Shetland, to be honest, unless it’s protected in a polytunnel!
Camilla
Aah, Elizabeth sounds like you need a giant polytunnel for trees then!
Adam
I shouldn’t worry, I’ve never even managed to try damsons yet, I can’t find them anywhere! I find it weird that In my local supermarket I can buy fresh tumeric, but not something like damsons. I have yet to see them at Leicester market either. Maybe I’ll find them one day haha. When I do the first thing I’ll be doing is making jam, I hear it goes lovely with game and rich fatty meats like lamb.
Camilla
As they are such a pain to extract the flesh from I imagine they are not popular and therefore not grown commercially. I think you’ll just have to buy yourself a tree if you want Damsons:-)
Janice
Fantastic! I love Damson jam and have always just left the stones in and fished them out as we ate the jam! That was how my gran made it anyway. We had neighbours that had two trees and used to give us loads, but they moved and the people who moved in cut down the trees.
Camilla
Thanks Janice. Yes leaving the stones in the jam would be the easiest solution but I’d worry that somone would crack a tooth open and it would probably be me. Shame on your neighbours for chopping their trees down, what a shame:-(