Testing Damson ripeness

 I have a goodly crop of damsons this year. Is there any way of telling
when they are ripe enough to bottle? By the time they are soft and
sweetish to eat, is that too late?
--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

 
They may go a bit soggy, but are otherwise fine.  You can also bottle
or freeze them as puree, sieved or unsieved, and make jam, jelly,
gin and cheese with them.  The last is a good mediaeval sweetmeat
for Christmas, and keeps for years in a coolish dry place.

Just sieve coarsely, make as for jam, and transfer into a shallow
dish when beginning to set.  Keep that in a cool oven, stirring
regularly, until it is getting too solid to stir easily.  Then
transfer it into a greased, flat dish, cool and cut up into cubes
when cold.  You can continue to dry it out either before or after
cutting it up in, say, an airing cupboard.  Then store in an airtight
container, separated by greaseproof paper.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

 wrote:


I'd love some damsons. I think the odds of you being near Oldham are
zero though.
:)


http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

 
Very jealous.  I have a billion courgettes, and that's about it.  Nothing
else has done exceptionally well.  Broad beans were good earlier, but
they're all gone now.  (I have some new ones coming through, but I think
it's probably too late for them to stand a chance of pollination)

Onions were ok, but hit and miss, garlic was terrible, brassicas were poor
... although the sprouts that didn't make it last year and have been in for
a year are looking quite good now! ... all my butternut and kiri squashes
have died, sweetcorn are not looking too happy at all (although the baby
sweetcorn aren't bad) ... raspberries are still plentiful, I admit, and I
just took the last few redcurrants, which were lovely.

Melons have failed me again, and I think I have 1 aubergine and 1 pepper in
the greenhouse.  :-/

 
No Name;935201 Wrote:

With me it's cucumbers. I have two in the fridge, two waiting to be
picked, and dozens getting larger each day :-)

I'm going to have to look for recipes for cooking the things.

I think I now understand the reason for gherkins.




--
kay