Damson Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fruit
Place the ripe damsons in an earthen pan or jar in the oven until soft.
Rub the softened damsons through a matted sieve to remove the stones.
Rub the mixture through a fine hair sieve into a preserving pan.
Weigh the fruit.
Make the cheese
Bring the fruit to a boil, stirring well to prevent burning.
If using 4 pounds of fruit, boil for 10 minutes.
Add 4 pounds of sifted lump sugar.
Boil until thick.
To test, drop a little from a spoon; it should leave a mark on the damson.
Set and store
Pour into small shapes or tins.
If using tins, turn out the next day and place on white paper in a drawer.
If using shapes or pots, cover with paper.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Damsons
- Provide the fruit pulp, flavour and natural pectin that thickens the cheese.
- Lump sugar
- Sweetens the cheese and, as it boils down, helps it set firm and keep.
The step that matters
Boil until thick. Sugar and fruit must be cooked until enough water evaporates and the sugar concentrates for the mixture to set on cooling. Stirring prevents sticking and burning on the base of the pan, which would scorch the flavour.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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