Author Topic: Damsons? (Read 3406 times)

joyofchicks · « **on:** August 12, 2010, 01:55:47 pm »

Not often in the fruit forum but... I am blessed with a damson tree which seems to be full of fruit this year. We have lived here for 17 years and I can't say I've noticed much more than a few old fruits on the ground before! My question is - can I use the damsons on the ground? They seem to be ripe and the ones on the tree are still quite green or is it still a bit early? I am in Aberdeenshire.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2010, 08:02:37 am »

Morning

we've not even got a snifter of a damson here yet but I'd say cut one open and have a look to see if its ripe or rotten.
Our vic plums are still hard and green but we've had a few that look ready, cut em open only to find a family of bugs inside.
Generally the vics come out ready mid august then the damsons are a couple of weeks later
we are just enjoying the break between heron plums/cherry plums and the massive victoria plum harvest that takes us all day every day (and we only have 70 trees, would hate to be a proper fruit farmer!)

Sylvia · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2010, 08:40:00 pm »

70 trees! I call that downright greedy!!

I only have one.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2010, 10:03:28 pm »

lol Sylvia!! and ironically plums are one of the fruits that we never bought so inheriting this orchard was a surprise!

NorthWestPoultry.co.uk · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2010, 08:39:52 pm »

hi its so strange that i came on here looking for damsons and i find it the top subject lol
i am on the look out for some damsons willing to pay for theam does any one have some for sale that they could ship to
me im in whitehaven cumbria or i can collect locally

cheers
mark

Frieslandfilly · « **Reply #5 on:** August 25, 2010, 07:19:07 pm »

Plumseverywhere, can I pick your brains? At what stage can I pick my plums, I have victoria, damsom and greengage, last year i waited until they were nearly all ripe but found that they were difficult to stone as they were squashy(and the wasps were getting at them), can i pick the whole tree nearly ripe and let them ripen to just the right stage?
Dawn

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #6 on:** August 25, 2010, 08:06:52 pm »

Hi Dawn

we pick ours as they are literally about to ripen, usually if you can twist the plum slightly and it falls into your hand its ready. I made 5lbs of plums into chutney yesterday and they were all vic's - most were on the verge of squish and they stoned easily the ones that were a bit harder were less easy to stone.
I would pick just before they ripen and let them ripen away from the wasps

having said that we still have over 60 tree's laden with plums that we can't get to due to heavy rain and verging on flood!

Lisa