Damson Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fruit
Remove the stalks from the damsons and place them in a preserving pan.
Simmer over low heat until soft, stirring occasionally.
Pass the mixture through a coarse sieve to extract the pulp and juice.
Make the cheese
Return the pulp and juice to the preserving pan and add the sugar.
Stir well and simmer slowly for 2 hours.
Skim off any foam.
Boil quickly for 30 minutes or until it thickens.
Pot and seal
Pour into shallow pots or small earthenware molds.
Once cool, cover with oiled paper.
Seal jars with tissue paper brushed with egg white.
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 and tartness that form the cheese's body and flavor.
- Loaf sugar
- Sweetens the fruit and, as it concentrates, helps the mixture set into a firm cheese.
The step that matters
Simmer slowly, then boil quickly until it thickens. Sugar and fruit pectin only set when enough water has evaporated and the mixture reaches a high concentration. Too little cooking leaves a runny cheese, while overcooking can scorch the sugar and darken the flavor.
“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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