Often used to make sweet preserves and puddings, Damsons also make a rather fine ketchup. It works particularly well with chips, on sandwiches and accompanying hard cheeses
You can easily confuse Damsons with Bullace, but either can be used for this recipe. In fact, you could use any type of plum if you wished
Recipe ingredients
2kg Damson
125g currants
250g finely chopped onions
670ml distilled white vinegar
28g sea salt
250g Demerara sugar
3-4 dried chillies
5g grated root ginger
5g allspice berries (whole)
1/2tbs mustard seeds
1/2tbs black peppercorns
2 whole garlic cloves peeled and scored
Meth
Make a spice bag (you can use a coffee filter tied with string) and put in the chillies, garlic, allspice, mustard, ginger and peppercorns. Secure tightly and put to one side
Clean damsons and remove stems place into a large pan and add enough water cover fill the pan by about 2 inches
Bring to the boil and keep squishing down the fruit with a potato masher. Add extra water if the pan bottom begins to dry
Once the stones have been well loosen from the fruit, pass the pulp through a sieve to remove the stones
Transfer the stoneless fruit pulp to a heavy bottomed pan, along with the onions, currants, spice bag and half of the vinegar
Bring to the boil then simmer for 30 minutes - do not cover the pan
Remove the spice bag and puree the mixture
Return the bag and add the sugar, salt and remainder of the vinegar
Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer slowly over a low heat for 2 hours - stir occasionally
Prepare sterilised jars
Bottle in sterilised jars, complete by canning and allow to cool
Leave for at least two weeks - preferably a few months - before opening
If jars are sterilised and canned correctly, your ketchup should last for 1 year unopened, and 1 month opened and stored in a refrigerator.
Discover more wild edibles and recipes on a foraging course and read more about Damson here.
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!