Damson Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fruit
Bake or boil the damsons in a stone jar in a saucepan of water or on a hot hearth.
Pour off some of the juice, then weigh out ½ pound of sugar for every 2 pounds of fruit.
Set the fruit over a fire in the pan and let it boil quickly until it begins to look dry.
Remove the stones and add the sugar, stirring well.
Cook and set
Simmer for 2 hours slowly, then boil quickly for 30 minutes until the sides of the pan candy.
Pour the mixture into potting pans or dishes about 1 inch thick to set.
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 acidity that give the jam its body and flavour.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jam and, as it concentrates, helps it thicken and set.
The step that matters
Boil quickly until the sides of the pan candy. Sugar must concentrate to a high enough level for the jam to set when cooled. Stopping too early leaves it runny, while overcooking can make it stiff and sticky.
“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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