September is the time of year to get out and investigate the hedgerows. There are all sorts of fruits and berries waiting to be picked by eager hands: sloes, rosehips, blackberries, damsons and apples can all be found with a little searching and bravery. I say bravery because foraging is always fraught with a small amount of danger, for instance, a wasp can easily be inhaled if you become distracted by a particularly juicy apple.
Foraging for food is immensely enjoyable not least because you’re getting something for nothing. It allows you to connect with the land and fully appreciate where the food has come from giving you an excuse to be a bona fide Ray Mears. If you do go out to scrounge the shrubbery make sure you’re meant to be there and haven’t inadvertently strutted into someone’s garden and started handling their hydrangeas. It goes (almost) without saying to be careful that what you are picking is indeed what you intended to pick and you haven’t confused your rosehips and laurels.
If a day outside avoiding thorns, stinging nettles and falling down ditches doesn’t appeal to you then farmers’ markets and greengrocers may be able to provide some or all of your berry needs. They also make an excellent hunting ground for more unusual apple and pear varieties.
Making your own infused gin is always great fun; first there’s the mixing, then there’s the waiting and finally there’s the tasting. Then there’s always the great debate; what do I do with the leftover gin soaked fruit? Last year I came up with a few good ways to use up the excess and have other plans this year too. I decided to make damson gin this year rather than sloe gin as the sloes are a bit thin on the ground and I’ve not tried it with damsons before.
Ingredients
You will need:
1kg damsons
250g sugar
1 litre gin
Roughly a 2 litre receptacle
Method
You need to ensure that the damsons and gin can mix together effectively over time. You can achieve this either by putting the damsons in to the freezer so that the skins crack or you can prick each damson a few times with a pin. I chose the latter option this year and found it to be extremely satisfying taking a far shorter time than I envisaged.
Clean out your chosen container; old bottles, Tupperware, Kilner jar or Rumtopf and put the sugar in the bottom.
Add your frozen fruit or prick with a pin as you add each one then pour in the gin. Give it a shake to mix the sugar in and then agitate it every day until all the sugar had dissolved.
Then just agitate it every so often leaving it for at least three months.
After three months it is worth giving it a taste to see how it’s getting on. If it’s how you like it, drain the gin off and get your thinking cap on. You can always just add more fresh gin to make another batch if you’re not feeling creative on draining day. This year not only do I have a new flavour of gin to look forward to but I also have new recipes to think of and create when the gin has gone. What better way to spend a January day than with booze soaked fruit and probably some pastry.
I am sure the leftover berries will make a great dessert or sauce to go with meat. When I lived in Europe, we use to go foraging all Autumn long for berries, mushrooms, and anything that comes along. I love damson as they are, it’s tartness. Mmm, I wish I had some now… 🙂
this gin in wonderful. With those beautiful looking berries it is going to taste very good. You are turning into an expert now. Well done.
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I know a few folks who would just LOVE this!!
When I’m out and about searching for food what scares me are not wasps or spiders, but snakes and rats! I always wear wellington boots (even when it is very hot)…just in case. Love these damson preserved in gin!
I am really envious and wish I could be out there picking fresh berries! Look forward to all the lovely bakes you’ll be making with them.
I love foraging if I’m honest. we just moved to our new house, and the woman next year hasn’t trimmed her garden back for over 10 years. There’s massive blackberry bushes hanging over our fence, we’ve been picking them off before we chop them up! I love it, remind me of picking with my Nan for her jam making sessions. Love this post!!
I am not sure what is damson but I am attracted to it.
First time I have heard of Danson berries but I look forward to how you use them, they look wow 😀
Cheers
CCU
i’ve never even heard of a danson berry before, but this looks and sounds absolutely awesome!
I’d love to try this gin, and the infusion of berries, awesome!
Thanks for the reminder. I have no Damsons, but I’ll be out there soon foraging for Sloes with which to make Sloe Gin. I won’t be using Gordons’ though – just the cheapo supermarket Own Brand stuff!
Oh for some wild damsons to forage. I’ve never made damson gin, although I do regularly make sloe gin. Not this year though. Fruit has done really badly in this part of the world. Although the gin can be drunk after 3 months, I find it is much better after a year or more, if you can bare to keep it that long.
How I miss the start of the late summer/early autumn foraging season! I also miss being able to buy gin easily (and to be able to afford it!) Your post made me miss the UK…..wonderfully written!
I think when it comes to damsons, the closest I’ve got to taste them is with a pot of jam so this is a really useful “how to” post. Really informative
What a timely post. I got some damsons the other day but didn’t have time to do anything with them so popped them in the freezer. Now I can make some delicious Damson Gin-cheers!
Damson gin is the Rolls Royce of flavoured gins. Ready in time for Christmas it makes a wonderful present (fancy bottles and labels can be bought on-line) and, mixed with tonic, the colour is extraordinary. I am lucky enough to have a thorn covered Damson tree in my garden… and now is the time to pick them, methinks. Don’t add all the sugar at once… you can always add more later over the three months before Christmas. And testing the sweetness of each batch can be a fun experience.
smile
DD
If you don’t have any damsons you can add more gin to the already realy nice gin please do not stir or shake this is ready to serve on its own or with a bacon butty..
I just picked 7 kgs of damsons yesterday from at the bottom of our drive 🙂