Stoning damsons: the solution!

[WhatWouldJeevesDo]

Microwave to soften then cut out with a knife.

Reported.

Thanks, I adore damsons but not damn stones!

I add some water and simmer... when I put the sugar in for jam and high boil most of the stones come to the surface.

An occasional one gets through.

I found stoning them first easier @hushabybaby.

We love going to the orchard to pick damsons and make batch of jam.

We'd have far too many to microwave and stone individually though, so we just boil them whole and all the stones float to the top at the end.

Cherry pitter/olive stoner is another good method. If making jam I then boil the pitted stones with some of the water, strain off the stones and add the liquid back to the jam.

I adore damson jam.

I strained my jam through the basket from the deep fat fryer so it caught the stones

That does sound more efficient.