Damson Pickle
Ingredients
1.6kg Damsons
900g sugar
600ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp shaved ginger
1 tbsp smashed cloves
1 tsp crunched all spice
1 tsp mace
6 whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 shards of orange peel
Method
1. Prick the damsons skins and put in a pan with sugar, vinegar and all other ingredients. Cook until tender but not too soft. Drain well. Remove the whole peppercorns, bay leaves and orange peel
2. Spoon the damsons into warm sterilized jars and keep to one side. To reduce, boil the vinegar syrup for 15 minutes, then strain into the jars and leave to cool.
3. Drain off syrup, re-boil and pour back over fruit. If you want your pickle really rich repeat this process for 4 days but otherwise do it twice, then seal firmly and store for about a month before eating.
Really good with any cheese but particularly with Little Ryding, mild, soft ewes milk cheese from wotton organic dairy and a slug of port, finest reserve.
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