In article ,
Christina Websell wrote:

No need to prick them with a silver pin?? Are you sure? My
grandmother told me this was essential.

Well, it isn't for sloes :-)

Yes it is. Bet my sloe gin is better than yours, having been pierced by a
silver pin ;p)
It has to be silver, nothing else will do.

You aren't posting from Whitby, by any chance, are you? :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote:
In article ,
Christina Websell wrote:

No need to prick them with a silver pin?? Are you sure? My
grandmother told me this was essential.

Well, it isn't for sloes :-)

Yes it is. Bet my sloe gin is better than yours, having been
pierced by a silver pin ;p)
It has to be silver, nothing else will do.

You aren't posting from Whitby, by any chance, are you? :-)


No, not now, I managed to make it back home.

Tina

On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:47:21 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:45:20 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:59:08 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

snip

I don't like jam though :-(
I'm going to try making damson gin. Like sloe gin but damsons, why
not? Or wash the demi-johns out for some wine perhaps.


I make damson gin! Do you want my recipe?

Yes please!


Damson Gin:

3 lb damsons
3 lb sugar
1 x 70cl bottle gin (use the cheapest possible)

Put into screw-top glass jars or demi-johns (no need to prick
damsons).

No need to prick them with a silver pin?? Are you sure? My grandmother
told me this was essential.

No need at all - I thought that was for sloes.

Stir or turn every day for at least six weeks until sugar
is dissolved. Bottle.

When do you strain the damsons out so that the stones don't make it bitter?

Only when you bottle it. I can assure you it's not bitter! A friend said
she uses the damsons afterwards in an alcoholic crumble, but we found them a
bit dry for that. Haven't yet found a good use for them.

Have fun.

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Posted through uk.rec.gardening

Gordon H wrote:
In message , Christina Websell
writes

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , Bud
writes

See, those ants were looking for a new place to settle, ants are
good to have in your garden, but nearby nests are even better.

Yes I know, one of them bit my neck.
--
Get over it and learn to like them ;-) They are amazing insects.
Tina

The bite didn't hurt much, it was when I tried to suck the poison
out... ;-)

Now you're being silly.

In message , Christina Websell
writes
Gordon H wrote:
In message , Christina Websell
writes

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , Bud
writes

See, those ants were looking for a new place to settle, ants are
good to have in your garden, but nearby nests are even better.

Yes I know, one of them bit my neck.
--
Get over it and learn to like them ;-) They are amazing insects.
Tina

The bite didn't hurt much, it was when I tried to suck the poison
out... ;-)

Now you're being silly.

I know, I'm a pain in the neck.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

wrote in message
...
In article ,
Christina Websell wrote:

No need to prick them with a silver pin?? Are you sure? My
grandmother told me this was essential.

Well, it isn't for sloes :-)

Yes it is. Bet my sloe gin is better than yours, having been pierced by
a
silver pin ;p)
It has to be silver, nothing else will do.

You aren't posting from Whitby, by any chance, are you? :-)

lol

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...
wrote:
In article ,
Christina Websell wrote:

No need to prick them with a silver pin?? Are you sure? My
grandmother told me this was essential.

Well, it isn't for sloes :-)

Yes it is. Bet my sloe gin is better than yours, having been
pierced by a silver pin ;p)
It has to be silver, nothing else will do.

You aren't posting from Whitby, by any chance, are you? :-)


No, not now, I managed to make it back home.

Phew)

"Sally Thompson" wrote in message
al.net...
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:47:21 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:45:20 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:59:08 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

snip

I don't like jam though :-(
I'm going to try making damson gin. Like sloe gin but damsons, why
not? Or wash the demi-johns out for some wine perhaps.


I make damson gin! Do you want my recipe?

Yes please!


Damson Gin:

3 lb damsons
3 lb sugar
1 x 70cl bottle gin (use the cheapest possible)

Put into screw-top glass jars or demi-johns (no need to prick
damsons).

No need to prick them with a silver pin?? Are you sure? My grandmother
told me this was essential.

No need at all - I thought that was for sloes.

Stir or turn every day for at least six weeks until sugar
is dissolved. Bottle.

When do you strain the damsons out so that the stones don't make it
bitter?

Only when you bottle it. I can assure you it's not bitter! A friend said
she uses the damsons afterwards in an alcoholic crumble, but we found them
a
bit dry for that. Haven't yet found a good use for them.


It seems an awful lot of sugar to damsons.
Won't it be like syrup?

Tina

On Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:38:58 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):


"Sally Thompson" wrote in message
al.net...
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:47:21 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:45:20 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:59:08 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

snip

I don't like jam though :-(
I'm going to try making damson gin. Like sloe gin but damsons, why
not? Or wash the demi-johns out for some wine perhaps.


I make damson gin! Do you want my recipe?

Yes please!


Damson Gin:

3 lb damsons
3 lb sugar
1 x 70cl bottle gin (use the cheapest possible)

Put into screw-top glass jars or demi-johns (no need to prick
damsons).

No need to prick them with a silver pin?? Are you sure? My grandmother
told me this was essential.

No need at all - I thought that was for sloes.

Stir or turn every day for at least six weeks until sugar
is dissolved. Bottle.

When do you strain the damsons out so that the stones don't make it
bitter?

Only when you bottle it. I can assure you it's not bitter! A friend said
she uses the damsons afterwards in an alcoholic crumble, but we found them
a
bit dry for that. Haven't yet found a good use for them.


It seems an awful lot of sugar to damsons.
Won't it be like syrup?


Not really, but on reflection the first time I made this I had been given 15
lb of damsons - try explaining that amount of gin in the supermarket g. I
think I was probably a bit more liberal with the gin on that occasion because
I had bought it in litre bottles, and the result was better than when I stuck
strictly to the recipe above. I haven't any left of last year's to sample,
but you could try a little less sugar and see what you think of the result.


--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Posted through uk.rec.gardening

On 2009-08-27 18:26:46 +0100, Sally Thompson said:

On Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:38:58 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):


"Sally Thompson" wrote in message
al.net...
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:47:21 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:45:20 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:59:08 +0100, Christina Websell wrote
(in article ):

snip

I don't like jam though :-(
I'm going to try making damson gin. Like sloe gin but damsons, why
not? Or wash the demi-johns out for some wine perhaps.


I make damson gin! Do you want my recipe?

Yes please!


Damson Gin:

3 lb damsons
3 lb sugar
1 x 70cl bottle gin (use the cheapest possible)

Put into screw-top glass jars or demi-johns (no need to prick
damsons).

No need to prick them with a silver pin?? Are you sure? My grandmother
told me this was essential.

No need at all - I thought that was for sloes.

Stir or turn every day for at least six weeks until sugar
is dissolved. Bottle.

When do you strain the damsons out so that the stones don't make it
bitter?

Only when you bottle it. I can assure you it's not bitter! A friend said
she uses the damsons afterwards in an alcoholic crumble, but we found them
a
bit dry for that. Haven't yet found a good use for them.


It seems an awful lot of sugar to damsons.
Won't it be like syrup?


Not really, but on reflection the first time I made this I had been given 15
lb of damsons - try explaining that amount of gin in the supermarket g.

Qui s'excuse, s'accuse. ;-)) Just put on a purple hat to match your
nose and stick the latter in the air while swanning through. ;-)
I
think I was probably a bit more liberal with the gin on that occasion because
I had bought it in litre bottles, and the result was better than when I stuck
strictly to the recipe above. I haven't any left of last year's to sample,
but you could try a little less sugar and see what you think of the result.

I'm going to pass all this on to someone working here who is
overwhelmed with plums and damsons this year.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

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.
--
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.

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