To Make Damson Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the fruit
Place ripe damsons in a jar.
Bake the jar in a 300°F (150°C) oven for three hours.
Pulp the damsons through a sieve.
Transfer the pulp to a preserving pan.
Heat the pulp over the fire.
Bring the pulp to a boil until the juice begins to shrink.
Make the cheese
Add 2 pounds of pounded sugar to the pulp.
Boil the mixture for one hour, stirring constantly.
Check for doneness when the mixture candies at the sides of the pan.
Set and store
Pour the finished cheese into small pie dishes or earthenware molds.
Cover with brandy paper.
Store in a dry place.
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, tart flavour and natural pectin that help the cheese set.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the fruit and, once boiled down, thickens the pulp into a firm, sliceable set.
The step that matters
Boil until the mixture candies at the sides of the pan. Sugar and fruit must be cooked until enough water evaporates and the sugar concentrates. Too little cooking leaves a soft set that weeps; too much makes it hard and grainy.
“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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