Damson Brandy



Damsons are blue-black plums about the size of unshelled almonds; not really a fruit bowl fruit, they lend themselves to cooking – as jams and jelly, crumbles and cobblers or for making wonderfully fragrant, heady liqueurs. 

They are elusive (unfortunately damson trees are on the wane) and this is about the right time of year to find them, not so much in the big stores but at farmers’ markets and farm shops, where they are pounced on with fervour. If you see them, buy them there and then, because if you go back later you will be very disappointed – they’ll be gone. (http://www.bite-magazine.com/product/211/103/damsons)


Damson Brandy

I saw some damsons for sale today in the Derby Market and couldn't resist buying a few (£4.40 a kg). 
Unfortunately this recipe will not be mature in time for this Christmas - but it will be for the 2015 celebrations - although I'm sure we'll have a quick taste before then.


1 kg Damsons
1 litre cheap Brandy
500g Sugar (or less)

• Either make little nicks in the skin of the damsons (or cheat by putting them in the freezer for about 24 hours)
• Put in a bottle or jar along with the sugar and brandy.
• Leave for about a year, turning every few days at first.

Will let you know in a year or so how good this drink is.

Some recipes call for a clove to be added to the mixture.  
Another idea is to cover the brandy-soaked damsons in melted chocolate, having first removed the stone.  
Damson chocolate tart recipe, sounds good!:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/8944863/Damson-and-chocolatetart-recipe.html  Here are a few more damson liqueur recipes (must try them!):  http://www.fruitliqueurs.co.uk/index.php/page/2/

Damson Jam: http://www.northsouthfood.com/what-to-do-with-damson-gin/

Here are Nigel Slater's damson recipes:  http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/16/nigel-slater-damson-sloe-recipes


Some interesting recipes: http://frugalinnorfolk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/damson-brandy-and-courgette-fritters.html

A few very useful tips: http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/two-recipes-wild-damson-gin-and-sloe-gin-37/

I'm going to send off for a damson tree so I can try out more of these ideas!
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/plant-0001192--1/plum-damson-merryweather/


20 October 2014
In the paper today were a couple of letters relating to the fruitfulness of this time of year and giving some more ideas:

• One writer suggests not wasting damsons on gin but to make damson wine. If it's then mulled with spices and a dish of brandy the resulting concoction is enough to bring the children home from all parts of the world to spent Christmas with their parents!
• Another suggests Damson Vodka, which gives a very clean taste; is excellent in a hip flask and also with a dash of champagne.  Half a bottle of vodka, filled to the three-quarter mark with  granulated sugar and to the top with damsons (pricked with a silver fork), plus a drop of two of almond essence.  Lay the bottles on their sides and rotate daily until the sugar is dissolved.
• Or perhaps try 'Brisky' (bramble whisky), substituting blackberries for the sloes and whisky for the gin.  Keep for several months (which applies to all these recipes).
• Damson Gin is fine; Damson Vodka is better; Raspberry Whisky is better still (sounds good).  Favourite recipe: 1 lb marmalade (preferably home-made), one bottle of gin and a quarter pound of sugar, kept warm for two weeks and drunk after three months.  Guaranteed to blow your socks off! (should this be called Misky?)

These sound like excellent ideas for Christmas presents next year - if we can resist trying them first ....

What do you think of when the name Birmingham (UK) comes up?  Industry, Spaghetti Junction?   A place to drive through to get to the West Country or to the Lake District? 

Yesterday we saw another side to that enormous city when we visited the Botanical Gardens (http://www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk/)

Bird houses surrounded by a rose garden

These gardens cover many acres and are not run by the local council or other body, it's completely self-supporting. The gardens is managed by a team of about seven gardeners with two apprentices.

There's a tropical house, subtropical house, Mediterranean house and even an arid house.  So we travelled all over the world in only a few minutes.  It was amazing in the seasonal butterfly house to be surrounded by the butterflies happily flitting between their flowers.


We were shown round the beautiful gardens by our very knowledgeable guide, Nigel.  He gave us information about the origins of the gardens, about many of the plants we saw and also gave us tips on cultivation.  Especially one plant (can't remember the name) which wouldn't normally grow somewhere so far north, except that it's on a sheltered wall and the enormous amount of moisture needed for the plan to thrive is provided by a leaky guttering by the ladies' loo.

The cafe is rather pricey, although very clean and run by cheerful people, so perhaps it might be a good idea to take a picnic and pop into the cafe for a cup of coffee.

Unfortunately, we were there for only about two and a half hours, perhaps another hour or so would have enabled us to enjoy the grounds more fully.

Next we went on to Soho House Museum (http://www.bmag.org.uk/soho-house)in Handsworth, the home of industrialist and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton (or Bolton as it says on his portrait).  

This was a very interesting house and I enjoyed going round the house as there was information in each room, not too much, just enough for us to appreciate how the house was used and how people lived in those days.  The house was attached to the factory, so Matthew Boulton must have been very much a hands-on boss.  For his times, he was very enlightened employer. 

When we looked at the pillars in his front hall, it was staggering to think that they were all brought to the house by narrow boat as the house was built before the times of the railways.  There was also a small museum next to the cafe.  Coffee much cheaper, unfortunately no decaf,  but nice cake, friendly people and a very clean cafe.

There were quite a few artefacts on show and for sale which had been made as part of projects involving the local community.

The little hut at the end of the garden

Oh, and there's also a Matthew Boulton city centre walk, and guide to Matthew Boulton's Birmingham (http://historywm.com/lunar-society-city-centre-walk/) to experience.  

We had a great day and must definitely plan to visit both of these places again very soon.