A month of mellow fruitfulness. Leaves begin to turn and drop off the trees, apples are ripe for the picking along with many other fruits, perfect for crumbles and pies.
So, what delights will you find on your plate this month?
  
About Damsons
First introduced to these shores by the Romans, damsons were not only eaten by our ancestors, but also used to produce purple dye. The damson is mostly used as an ingredient for preserves, rather than being munched directly from the tree.
Back to top
Damson recipes
Try these scrumptious recipes, perfect for all those sharp-tasting indigo fruits carpeting your lawn and attracting the wasps! These tasty treats will last for months...
Damson pickle
This recipe is ideal with cheese or cold mutton, a tasty midnight snack:
Ingredients:
- 700g / 1½ Ib damsons, washed and dried
- 600ml / 1 pint vinegar (malt or distilled malt)
- 350g / 12oz granulated sugar
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 small stick of cinnamon
- 1 blade of mace
Method:
- Prick the damsons all over with a darning needle and put them in a bowl
- Boil the vinegar, sugar, and spices altogether and pour over the fruit
- Cover and leave overnight
- Next day, drain and reserve the liquid and re-boil. Pour over the fruit again and leave for a second night. Repeat this the next day.
- On the final day, boil the fruit and the liquid gently for 5 minutes. Try not to let the skins break.
- Pot in warm sterilised jars, cover and keep for at least a month before eating, preferably longer.
From 'Farmhouse Cookery' by Laura Mason
Damson sauce
A suitably cheeky sauce for many desserts, particularly meringues and whipped cream - yum.
Ingredients:
- 250g / 9oz damsons, washed and dried
- 250ml / 8½ floz port
- 2 cloves
- generous pinch of ground cinnamon
- 25g /1oz soft brown sugar
- 3 level tbsp redcurrant jelly
- juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
Method:
- Put the damsons, port, cloves, cinnamon and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil.
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes and then add the jelly and the fruit juice.
- Mix thoroughly and bring back to the boil. Cool and sieve.
From 'Farmhouse Cookery' by Laura Mason
Back to top
  
Also in season
So besides delicious damson, September really is a bumper month - here's just a taster of other treats in season...
Vegetables: Artichokes, aubergines, broad beans, french beans, runner beans,beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chard, courgettes, cucumber, dandelion, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, Wild mushrooms, onions, spring onions, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, rocket, samphire, sorrel, spinach, squash, swede, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress.
Fruit: Apples, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, chestnuts, cobnuts, crab apples, bullaces, elderberries, loganberries, pears, plums, raspberries, redcurrants, sloes, strawberries, walnuts.
In the garden
Keep on picking and enjoying your beans, cucumbers and courgettes. It's also time to dig up those potatoes, carrots, beetroots and turnips. Once the foliage has died, unearth your onions and add them to your harvested pile of goodies. Finally, don't despair about your unripe tomatoes - simply pick them and pop them in a brown bag to ripen on their own.
|
