Friday 4 September 2015

Trust Me!

If you love the unique, distinctive, fruity flavour of the humble damson then this is the most delicious ice cream in the world - Damson & Sloe Gin - the flavours are a match made in heaven

Time is short - damsons are here now, but the season will soon be over. Buy, beg, or scrump some damsons and make this mouth watering ice cream, you will not regret it. We scrumped our damsons from a tree we know growing in the wild
via  
First of all I made a damson conserve, same recipe used for the apricot conserve.  Note: plums need less time macerating - 12 hours would be ample. During the cooking process plums also thicken quicker than apricots, so I would suggest that they are simmered for about 15 - 18 minutes.
I used 300 ml double cream gently whipped into soft peaks, 
then added 300 ml creme fresh &
100 ml Greek yogurt
300 grams damson conserve
gently fold all together
Place in your ice cream maker - whilst mine was churning I added a liqueur glass of  Sloe Gin, but you can use plain gin; I have mentioned previously that adding alcohol makes ice cream softer and smoother, and gives it that little je ne sais quoi. If you don't have any just leave it out.
If you don't have an ice cream maker place in container and put in the freezer. Churn with a spoon from time to time adding some alcohol if you want.
This makes one litre but you will very definitely want more, so make a big batch of damson conserve for future use!

39 comments:

  1. Oh this sounds wonderful. I think I know a damson tree and will go along and see if it still has any damsons on!!

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    1. Good luck - and happy hunting - hope the tree does turns out to be a damson.

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  2. Sound delicious Rosemary. I don't have an ice creame maker, can always buy one...

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    1. Delicious ic cream is so quick and easy to make which I did not realise until I bought my machine

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  3. This sounds very delicious and I know about how it tastes, because I make rum pot with plums. Before Christmas I take the plums out and we have the plum rum with dessert or coffee. I stir 250 ml whipped cream and 250ml creme fresh with the macerated rum plums and that is our very favorite Christmas dessert, especially my son-in-law is fond of it. So I imagine that your ice cream must be as good or even more good. Now I have your recipe, I will definitely make it, I will let you know the result.

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    1. Good luck and hope you enjoy - I expect that you could make an ice cream with your plums and rum, but if you can get the damsons and use gin do try that. Plums and rum would be very similar to rum and raisin ice cream which I know to be delicious too.

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  4. Mmmm, mouth-watering, Rosemary...I have never made icecream, but this certainly tempts me. I like the idea of the yoghurt in there too. Thank you for showing the various plums; I had been confused as to what was a damson, but now I recognise it as the plums we used to get as children, and I like them best of all. Your icecream looks beautiful, presented so charmingly!

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    1. I can't tell you enough how delicious this is Patricia - I have to limit myself to making one litre at a time because it is just so moorish.

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  5. This looks and sounds so tempting! I can live without cake, but ice cream - never! x

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    1. Try and get some damsons LeeAnn you will not regret it.

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  6. Hello Rosemary, Beautiful and tempting. Wild plums always seem to have an especial concentration of flavor, and it is so much fun to go picking them.
    --Jim

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    1. Hello Jim - H has been busy picking wild plums for the past three weeks which we have bottled for the winter. The damsons, although also members of the prunus family, have a very unique taste and flavour.






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  7. You can get very expensive ice cream makers that have their own inbuilt freezer compartment or much cheaper ones whereby you freeze the inner part of the machine in your freezer for 24 hours before use. I have one of the cheaper models as I could not justify spending a couple of hundred pounds on a machine just to make ice cream. My little one only cost £15, but it does the job perfectly well.

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  8. Looks (and sounds) absolutely stunning. Perhaps you should make enough to sell? - put me down for litre if you do!

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  9. Oh my goodness that looks tasty! What's the difference between a plum and a damson?

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    1. The damson belongs to the same family it is simply the flavour that is different. A damson has a very deep rich flavour which once you have tasted it is very distinctive. You must watch out for some next time you are over and try them.

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  10. Looks great, thanks for sharing!

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  11. Some work is, but ice cream are certainly delicious. :)

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    1. I keep trying different flavours and this is the best so far - really delicious

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  12. The ice-cream looks so delicious, mouth watering and I am simply looking at it!!

    Ms Soup

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    1. Yes, the damsons create a very appetising and pretty coloured ice cream

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  13. Dear Rosemary, Your ice cream looks so tempting. Love the fig leaf used as background color. I don't have any damsons plums. Would an Italian plum be a good substitute?
    As an aside; I have turned off the automatic flash on my camera. I am now happy with "our" new camera.

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    1. Dear Gina - I don't see why your Italian plums should not be used especially if they have a good depth of flavour. I think a good spirit to enhance them would probably be a spot of rum, if you have any. The damson has a very distinctive taste and also creates a lovely pink colour to the ice cream, but I think that they are not readily available everywhere. The sloe gin that I used is made by H, he uses sloes growing in the wild which are very similar to the damson, and in fact it is thought that the damson could have evolved from them, so they make a good partnership.
      I am reassured to learn that you are now happy with the camera, I must admit that I was concerned. Incidentally I always have the flash switched off, and in fact I never use it. Most churches and historic houses do not allow flash and I find that my photos are perfectly good without using it at all. The camera seems to automatically compensate for dark interiors, and I prefer the more natural results that non flash gives.

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  14. That really looks tasty Rosemary!
    Have a great weekend and take care...
    Titti

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    1. If you can get hold of any damsons do make some Titti - I am sure you would love it

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  15. Hello Rosemary,
    It looks delicious. I have not seen a damson tree anywhere but I can find some sloes. There is going to be a good blackberry crop this year. Thanks for this recipe and have a wonderful week
    Helenx

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    1. Hello Helen - you could make some sloe gin and it will have matured by next year. Then you could add it to the ice cream, that is if you can trace any damsons by then.

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  16. Sounds incredible!!!!! It is a good job that I have eaten well today otherwise I would be very hungry right now!! A great way to join summer flavours and ice cream!!! xx

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  17. Really sounds ( and LOOKS ) delicious , thank you for the recipe !

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  18. Oh yes - bring it on looks lovely and sounds delicious. My damson harvest from the garden is quite small this year. Some years the tree is absolutely dripping with fruit this year not so much but enough for a few pots of jam or ice cream!

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    1. If you make it Elaine you will not regret it - do you have an ice cream maker - I bought mine from Lidl for about £15 and it is brilliant. Unfortunately they only seem to stock them for one week during the beginning of the summer, but they are well worth watching out for.

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  19. The feeling of rose is certainly present.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  20. Your recipes are always so good! I haven't found a damson tree around here yet! Sarah x

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    1. This is so easy to make Sarah - I can't be bothered with recipes that are complicated

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