Kitchen Garden Forum

Was walking along with a friend recently when we passed a hedgerow laden with frosted damsons (which she was wondering about going back to, to pick). We had a very heavy frost here one night about a week ago. Knowing I make a lot of jam she asked me whether they would be OK for making jam with and I didn't know the answer. The damsons looked a bit "mushy" to me. I've stored dampsons in the freezer before now until I've been ready to make jam, and the jam has been fine, but I really don't know whether damsons frozen on a bush and then thawed out would work in a similar way as I suspect rot would start to set in once the damsons had thawed.

Anybody got some advice on this?

Don't think I would attempt this Primrose. Any fruit which is going 'off' used for jam will not keep.
Would be a waste of time and sugar etc.
But I am always willing to be proved wrong.

Beryl.

I'm inclined to agree with you. Frozen fruit straight from the freezer, and thawed and into the preserving pan is one thing. Anything that has been hanging around in an indeterminate state is too likely to have deteriorated to the point where it's fit for nothing. It was just that it was the first time my companion had seen damsons growing in the wild and I think it just seemed a good idea at the time!.

Yes, by freezing fruit the temperture is probaby taken down to about minus 18 whereas 'frosting' would be just low enough to spoil.

Pity to see it go to waste but at least you will remember where it is growing for next year!!!

Berryl.

My raspberries are still going. We had a frost the other night which didn't deter them and I've carried on picking them and have jammed them. It's probably the best jam I've made this year. I can't get over the Autumn Bliss raspberries. We're NOT sheltered and yet there they still are in November, with frosts, gales and appalling weather this week. I've used jam sugar this year and what a difference it makes! I boiled up and potted some jam in the time it took my husband to make a cup of tea the other day. That's no reflection on him!

Hi Jane,I'm still picking my autumn gold raspberries too, they fruit on the tips, and I was told if I cut the canes just to remove the fruited part leaving the lower part will give me an early crop in spring, then a later autumn crop from the new canes. Mine were only just planted so not enough for jam yet. I guess they will need feeding well so am giving them a good mulch this autumn. Do autumn bliss fruit on the tips too, or all the way down the cane ?

They seem to fruit quite a way down. You don't need much fruit to jam. 1/2 pound will make a jar and they soon mount up.

Hi Jane, loads of loganberries in the summer which make nice jam and my morello cherries are beginning to crop quite well, I don't have a sweet tooth though and quite enjoy the morellos fresh!