damsons

[Salina]

Does anyone know if you can eat damsons or are they just for making/setting jam? I don't want to waste my money on a tree if I can't eat them lol. My aunt had a damson tree in her old garden and it produced masses of fruit and I think she used to make jam out of them but I don't think she ate them.

[pigletwillie]

They are lovely to eat, just think of them as small plums.

[Nicos]

Don't forget you can use them in gin and vodka to make drinks too

[pigletwillie]

How right Nicos, I make damson gin rather than sloe gin, its less fiddly and you need much less sugar.

Also no bloody thorns, literally.

[Flummery]

Mine (variety Shropshire Prune) I find a bit tart to eat raw but they make the most fantastic pies and crumbles. Howerver, they are a fiddle to de-stone. I cook them up and take the stones out when the fruit is cold. I still think it's worth it!
Damson vodka is a fave in the Flummery household.

[valmarg]

In this part of the country we have lots of damson trees in the hedgerows. Its quite a sight in spring, the fields being edged with trees in blossom. The fruits are quite small, and sour, but they do make a decent drop of damson gin. It is also one of those 'free' harvests!!

valmarg

[Two_Sheds]

We went out and picked a load of what we thought were sloes...then someone said they were damsons! V.confused now. How do we tell? The fruit and the bushes look almost identical to me, and both fruits are too sour for me to eat. Help!

[Palustris]

Damsons sort of pear shaped. Sloes round. Damson tree only a few thorns, sloes lots!

[NOG]

Yep a Damson tree does have few thorns....none to be exact.

They are a small plum...
We mostly make Jam from ours but also make Damson and AppleCrumble.
They are lovely in Fruit salad and if you get them at the right stage of Ripeness you can eat them like plums.

It is best if you cut them in half first to remove the stone, it make them easier to eat.