_Ingredients._—1½ pint of damsons, ¼ lb. of moist sugar, ½ lb. of short
or puff crust. _Mode._—Put the damsons, with the sugar between them,
into a deep pie-dish, in the midst of which place a small cup or jar
turned upside down; pile the fruit high in the middle, line the edges
of the dish with short or puff crust, whichever may be preferred; put
on the cover, ornament the edges, and bake from ½ to ¾ hour in a good
oven. If puff-crust is used, about 10 minutes before the pie is done,
take it out of the oven, brush it over with the white of an egg beaten
to a froth with the blade of a knife; strew some sifted sugar over,
and a few drops of water, and put the tart back to finish baking:
with short crust, a little plain sifted sugar, sprinkled over, is all
that will be required. _Time._—½ to ¾ hour. _Average cost_, 10_d._
_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ in September and October.
DAMSONS, Baked, for Winter use.
_Ingredients._—To every lb. of fruit allow 6 oz. of pounded sugar;
melted mutton suet. _Mode._—Choose sound fruit, not too ripe; pick off
the stalks, weigh it, and to every lb. allow the above proportion of
pounded sugar. Put the fruit into large dry stone jars, sprinkling the
sugar amongst it; cover the jars with saucers, place them in a rather
cool oven, and bake the fruit until it is quite tender. When cold,
cover the top of the fruit with a piece of white paper cut to the size
of the jar; pour over this melted mutton suet about an inch thick, and
cover the tops of the jars with thick brown paper well tied down. Keep
the jars in a cool dry place, and the fruit will remain good till the
following Christmas, but not much longer. _Time._—From 5 to 6 hours to
bake the damsons in a very cool oven. _Seasonable_ in September and
October.
DAMSONS, Compôte of.
_Ingredients._—1 quart of damsons, 1 pint of syrup (_see_ SYRUP).
_Mode._—Procure sound ripe damsons, pick the stalks from them, and put
them into boiling syrup made by the recipe. Simmer them gently until
the fruit is tender, but not sufficiently soft to break; take them up,
boil the syrup for 5 minutes, pour it over the damsons, and serve.
This should be sent to table in a glass dish. _Time._—About ¼ hour to
simmer the damsons; 5 minutes to boil the syrup. _Average cost_, 9_d._
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ in September and October.
DAMSONS, Preserved.
_Ingredients._—To every quart of damsons allow ½ lb. of loaf sugar.
_Mode._—Put the damsons (which should be picked from the stalks and
quite free from blemishes) into a jar, with pounded sugar sprinkled
amongst them in the above proportion; tie the jar closely down, set it
in a saucepan of cold water; bring it gradually to boil, and simmer
gently until the damsons are soft, without being broken. Let them stand
till cold; then strain the juice from them, boil it up well, strain it
through a jelly-bag, and pour it over the fruit. Let it cool, cover
with oiled papers, and the jars with tissue-paper brushed over on
both sides with the white of an egg, and store away in a dry place.
_Time._—About ¾ hour to simmer the fruit after the water boils; ¼ hour
to boil the juice. _Seasonable._—Make this in September or October.