On 2009-08-28 10:53:43 +0100, Roy Bailey said:

In article , Sacha
writes
[all snipped]

I'm going to pass all this on to someone working here who is
overwhelmed with plums and damsons this year.

If you like beer, consider damson ale.

They make it (or used to make it) at The Mason's Arms in Cumbria, near
the famous damson-growing Lyth Valley. I made some a few years ago and
it was marvellous.

I had made a rich, dark ale of about 6% alcohol, and after it had
finished fermenting and cleared, I added about a pound of pricked
damsons from our garden to a couple of gallons of the ale. This started
the fermentation again, and after it had finished I strained out the
fruit residue and treated the beer in the usual manner.

It came out a lovely dark purple colour and, as well as the richness of
the ale and the fruit, had a faint flavour of almonds where the second
fermentation had leached out some of the essence of the damson stones.

If you don't brew your own, you could get a polypin of a suitable real
ale from a local brewery, and provided it is cask-conditioned and
contains some yeast, the recipe will work.

Roy.

I'd never ever *heard* of damson ale - no idea it existed. I'm not
great on beer drinking but that sounds rather delicious.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon