When is a plum not a plum? When it’s a Damson of course!

It might look like a plum, is often referred to as a plum, but the Damson is technically not a plum.

Said to originate from Damascus in ancient times, the Damson is a small olive-sized fruit with dark blue-purple skin and tart-tasting flesh. According to Los Angeles Times food writer, David Karp, however, when cooked down "the astringency disappears and its tannic skin imparts a gorgeous magenta colour and rich, spicy flavour, while its abundant pectin confers a lusciously thick and smooth consistency". 

According to Wikipedia….

“The damson, also archaically called the "damascene”, is an edible drupaceous fruit, a subspecies of the plum tree. Varieties are found across Europe, but the name damson is derived from and most commonly applied to forms which are native to Great Britain.  Damsons are relatively small plum-like fruit with a distinctive, somewhat astringent taste, and are widely used for culinary purposes, particularly in fruit preserves and jams”

The main difference between damsons and plums is actually more to do with the shape than the taste. Damsons are smaller than plums and don’t have the distinct longitudinal groove that plums typically have.

The versatility of the distinct Damson flavour is virtually limitless. Whether it’s our Damson jam on a freshly baked scone, our gorgeous Damson terrine featuring on your picnic platter, our Damson vinaigrette spicing up your salad greens, or the Damson relish slathered on your hamburger, our imaginings for the scope of Damson know no bounds. Then, wash it all down with our Dam Fine Gin Liqueur. Complete your Damson experience with the sensational taste explosion of a divine Damson chocolate truffle.  And we’re dreaming up new products all the time!