How to make damson jam

A fruit that sets itself

Damsons carry more pectin and more acid than almost any other British stone fruit. Nothing needs adding: no lemon, no jam sugar, no apple. The set arrives quickly and firmly.

The consequence is that damson jam is easy to over-boil. Past setting point it goes stiff and dark and loses the bright fruit flavour, which is why the cold-plate test should start early — from about five minutes at a rolling boil.

The tannins that make a raw damson astringent are what give the finished jam its length and structure. This is why damson jam has more character than any other plum jam and why sweeter plums cannot replace it.

Damson jam

Short and mostly hands-off. FoodHQ does not publish keeping times, jar-processing schedules or the acidity figures that decide whether a sealed preserve is safe on a shelf. Those are safety numbers set by a food safety authority rather than by a cookery writer. In the UK the Food Standards Agency is the authority — follow its guidance on sterilising, sealing and storing, and treat this page as the explanation of what is happening in the pan.

1. Wash the damsons and pick out leaves and stalks. Do not attempt to stone them — they are clingstone and it is not practical.
2. Weigh the fruit, then put it in a preserving pan with a little water, roughly a fifth of the fruit's weight.
3. Simmer until the fruit has collapsed and the skins have softened, fifteen to twenty minutes.
4. Skim off the stones as they float free, and keep skimming for a few minutes after they seem to have stopped.
5. Put two plates in the freezer. Add an equal weight of sugar to the original fruit and stir over a low heat until fully dissolved.
6. Boil hard and start testing at five minutes. Damson reaches setting point fast.
7. Skim and pot. Expect a deep, almost black purple.

Damson cheese, from the same fruit

An old British preserve, firm enough to slice and turn out of a mould.

• Cook the damsons as for jam, then push everything through a sieve to remove skins and any remaining stones.
• Weigh the purée and add roughly three-quarters its weight in sugar.
• Cook it very slowly, stirring frequently, for an hour or more. It spits, so use a deep pan and a long spoon.
• It is ready when a spoon drawn across the base leaves a clean channel that does not immediately fill.
• Pour into a lightly oiled straight-sided mould or small tin and leave it somewhere dry to set for a day or two.
• Turn it out and slice it. Traditionally served with hard cheese, cold game or ham.
• It improves with keeping, and traditionally was made to be eaten months later.

Notes on the fruit

Season

Late August into September, and short.

Freezing

Freeze them whole and unwashed. They cook down identically and it lets you make jam at leisure.

Bullaces

A close relative, often sold as damsons. Rounder and sometimes greener, and used identically.

Quantity

A kilo of damsons makes roughly four or five jars of jam, or two smaller moulds of cheese.

Sugar

Equal weight for jam. Less for damson cheese, because the long cooking concentrates it anyway.

Common questions