Damson Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Remove the stalks from the damsons.
Place the damsons and sugar in a preserving pan and let it sit by the fire until some juice is extracted.
Cook
Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Boil gently for about 45 minutes, or until the syrup thickens when tested on a cold plate.
Pot and seal
Pour the jam into pots and cover with 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, pectin, and tart acidity that give the jam its flavour and body.
- Preserving sugar
- Sweetens the fruit and, as it dissolves and concentrates, helps the jam thicken and keep.
The step that matters
Boil gently until the syrup thickens. Boiling too hard or too briefly changes the set. Sugar and fruit pectin need enough heat and concentration to gel, so testing on a cold plate shows when the jam is ready.
“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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