It looks like we'll have a record damson harvest this year. The tree we have is the variety Shropshire Prune. The boughs are weighed down with fruits. They are still a bit hard at the moment but in a week or so we'll be picking pounds of them. I shall make more damson jam, which has always been a favourite. When I grew up in Manchester there were always damsons for sale in September and my Mum and my Gran before her, made jam with them. My husband's family - all from East Yorkshire for generations, never saw them for sale in the shops. I think it was our proximity to Cumberland, Westmoreland and the Fylde coast that ensured our shops and markets had damsons for sale.When we moved here in late 1999 I bought the damson and a tayberry, both of which were toasted with a drop of champers on Millennium eve. We call this tree the Millennium Damson.
10 comments:
my plum tree isn't doing nearly as well - congrats!
I've got three plums coming on my Victoria, planted last year; those are from a second flowering, which I've never seen before on a plum. My Cambridge Gage isn't producing anything that I can see.
My aunt made Damson jam every year. Alas, my plum trees look miserable. Disease and drought, and one might just not make it. Oh well.
Oh Flum, they look wonderful. I think there is one in the wild on the way to my friends house, I'm thinking of getting a scrumping party together :-)
Traditionally, the damson harvest was very important for the area now considered South Lakes (but previously was the northern bit of Lancashire). Apparently they grow well up here because they don't mind a bit of wind - definitely on our list for planting on the orchard side of the garden.
This tree didn't produce much for the first 3 years - then it produced 4! After that though, it was Onwards and Upwards.
I love greengages but like damsons,they are rarely seen here in the shops. Oh for enough room for an orchard!
It looks like you'll get a good jam making session out of those.
Yes, I've noticed lots of damsons this year! time for more jam making!
What a fantastic crop! This weekend I made some damson vodka- hoping for an interesting Christmas tipple!
I'm not sure what damsons are, but these look awesome.
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