Damsons and apples everywhere

[Frumpylab]

So many damsons. I stewed them yesterday and all the kids said they didn't like them. What can I do with them? Any ideas about stewing them with another stronger fruit that might mask the plummy flavour?! Also we have an apple tree (i am new to all this fruit tree ownership). Can I ask daft questions. Do you wait for the fruit to fall or can i pick apples? And can i stew apples without peeling as I simply can't bear thought of peeling all these apples! Sorry to sound moany. I am very lucky to own fruit trees but don't have much time for all the fruit prep, especially if everyone turns their noses up!!

Buy one of these. Amazon have them for about the same price. I’ve had mine years and it saved days of my life. I used to make curly chips with potatoes, back when we could eat fried food without judgement 😊
https://www.lakeland.co.uk/13181/apple-master-peeler-and-corer

Damsons make great gin, jam and chutney. You can mix with other fruit or blanched then freeze. Apples are the same. Pies, crumble or sauce for pork. Look on BBC good food websites

Wow ive never seen one of those gadgets. Definitely getting one. Thanks!

I can't be arsed peeling apples, I just core and slice and freeze in crumble sized portions.

There's all sorts you can do with damsons - the thing to buy is the largest cherry stoner you can get, it'll stone most small damsons. Then either do the crumble sized portions... or damson gin or vodka. It's amazing.

I've got one of those apple corer things - I LOVE it. I do huge amounts of apples into rings and then freeze them.

I came on to say I made lots of Damson jam last year.

I went to a car boot sale on Sunday and someone was selling bags of plums and greengages. He was so delighted that I recognised them as greengages that when I bought a big bag, he gave me two more bags for free. He told me that he's got more fruit dripping off his trees than he knows what to do with, and was so happy to just give loads away. I now have a massive pile of greengages sitting in my largest dish on my kitchen worktop. Which reminds me, I need to get on and do something with them this evening!

Dansen Gin.
Or jam/jelly - tastes great with roasts

Make apple crisps. No need to peel, just core, slice thinly on a mandolin and bake. I used to sell bags of them to raise funds for a charity.

Great idea.

You can pick apples - twist the stalk and if it comes away, it’s ready. Or use a picker or something to shake the upper branches.

Damsons - we have the same problem. They’re great for jam. Or gin! Would welcome any other ideas.

I found that my children were obsessed with peeling apples using this. It became a race to get the most apples peeled. Then they started peeling other fruit and veg, hence the curly oven chips.

Don’t let them try it with damsons. Looks like a crime scene 😊

Damson gin or vodka is absolutely delicious. We made damson vodka with all the windfalls and vodka from Lidl. Just chucked the damsons in large jars, poured in the vodka and left it till Christmas. It tasted like a very expensive liqueur.

Has anyone done an apple and damson crumble? We have loads of both for the first time in 10 years, the Damson tree hasn't fruited for 30 years according to our allotment neighbour.

Luckily I have a cherry stoner that I think will deal with them. Presumably the damson is quite tart and needs plenty of sugar?

As a PP said, twist the apple and if it comes off in half a turn it is ripe.

I have the same issue with peaches this year. we look after our neighbours garden and their peach tree is fully loaded with them. I've picked a trug full this evening and have washed, quartered and frozen them. Tomorrow I'll pick more and put into a Rumtoft to make some peach something alcoholic. Then next day I'll make a peach pie or maybe a few and freeze them. And if I can source wine yeast I'll make a gallon of wine. Then I will start offering them around the village.

I don't peel them, as if I freeze them I either make jam or pies which cooks the skins, or wine or alcohol which doesn't need the skins taken off.

You can make a plum clafoutis and if you want to use for desserts in the winter, just wash, halve and de pit and freeze and then defrost over a colander and use for lovely winter puddings.

That sounds delicious!

Do not eat the damsons. You will become very drunk.

I can imagine!

I will collect all the Dawson's you have going! My mum adores them. Turns into puree and freezes. Then typically mixes with blackcurrant jelly (the concentrated stuff you add boiling water to - dissolve in min amount of boiling water, then mix in puree), but also with yoghurt.

this is a great damson chutney recipe. I use the second method of cooking then removing stones - in fact use this for all stoned fruit now as I’m lazy. https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/british/spiced-damson-chutney

It's a good year this year, as it was warm when the trees were in flower and didn't get a frost at all, unlike other years. I have a fairly new damson tree and this is the first year it's got lots on. Also we have plums and apples, so yes, fruit everywhere!

https://fussfreeflavours.com/damson-vodka/

I don't remember adding sugar, but I suppose we must have done. It was quite a few years ago. Possibly during lockdown...

You can make something called Damson Cheese. It's lovely, easy to make and no peeling required. I give it to people as part of home made bundle of things at Christmas. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spiced-damson-cheese

discontinued !!

Pickled damsons! Lovely with cold meat and cheese.

I don't know anyone with a damson tree anymore, so no gorgeous damson jam for us this year!