Of all the wild fruits that start to become available as summer segues into autumn, damsons are perhaps the easiest to love. This may be because they are not truly wild, but generally escapees from domestic cultivation – plums gone rogue, if you will. A subspecies of Prunus domestica, they are close siblings of garden plums. Yet, havingshaken off the shackles of horticulture and made a break for freedom, they're there for the taking, which is one more point in their favour, as far as I'm concerned.
You will find damsons growing in all kinds of locations, some quite wild – woodland and riverbanks – others much more urban, including allotments and waste ground. Coming across a tree-full is the equivalent of hitting the foraging motherlode. Deeply fond as I am ofall kinds of hedgerow berries, damsons seem particularly generous and inviting. These gorgeous plums have skins that are dark as midnight and overlaid by a soft, dusky bloom. When they start to arrive around the end of August, they put themselves forth in profusion, weighing down the branches like great purple gems. As long as you have access to a ladder, they are extremely easy to gather. And as long as you have some sugar in your kitchen, they are immensely rewarding to cook.
It is technically possible to enjoy damsons straight off the tree, but only if you've found the right variety growing in a sunny spot so they're burstingly ripe – and that's a state that the local bird and wasp populations are unlikely to consent to. If you pick them sooner, eaten raw they will probably overwhelm you with tannic, cheek-hollowing sourness. However, like so many tart fruits, once cooked and sweetened, they surrender the most wonderful, complex, deep flavour.
They make glorious crumbles and cobblers, fabulous ice-creams and sorbets, and a sophisticated, wine-dark jam that is one of the finest things you'll ever get out of a preserving pan. It's not hard, either: just simmer 2kg damsons with 800ml water until soft, scoop out the stones with a slotted spoon, add 2.3kg sugar, stir to dissolve, boil for 10 minutes then test for the setting point.
So keep your eyes peeled over thenext few weeks and, if you spotsome branches laden with purple fruit, make the most of it as soon as you can. It only takes one enthusiast with preserving ambitions to strip a tree, and much disappointment can result from thinking, "Ooh, I'll come back for those in a couple of days..."
Of course, the surest way to avoid such pitfalls is to grow your own. The trees are pretty hardy and, if you have limited space, can be trained against a sunny fence or wall. Or, for faux wildness, stick them in a hedge (clear away competitive growth around the planting site first). Excellent varieties include the Farleigh damson and the Shropshire prune damson, while King and Merryweather are, when ripe, bothsweet enough to eat raw. Even the tame ones taste pretty wild, so Ipredict you will find them impossible to resist.
Cheesecake with damson sauce
This simple, crustless cheesecake issuch a favourite of mine that Isometimes eat it for breakfast. However, bathed in a glorious, richdamson sauce, it makes a fantastic pud. Serves eight.
600g curd cheese, cream cheese or very fresh, mild, rindless goat's cheese (preferably unsalted)
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tbsp medium oatmeal, semolina orwholemeal flour
100g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
Grated zest of 2 small oranges
For the damson sauce
500g damsons
125g caster sugar
To make the sauce, put the damsonsin a pan with 200ml water. Bring to asimmer and cook gently, stirring regularly, for 10-15 minutes, until the fruit has collapsed and thestones have come free. Tip into asieve and rub through with a wooden spoon to remove the stonesand skins. Sweeten the damson purée by whisking in sugar to taste – how much sugar you need will depend on the tartness of the fruit and your personal taste – and leave to cool.
Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3 and butter a 20cm springform cake tin. Beat the cheese with a wooden spoon until smooth (if using an unsalted goat's cheese, add a pinch of salt). Add the melted butter, oatmeal, semolina or flour, sugar, eggs and orange zest, mix well, spoon into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until just set.
Serve the cheesecake, cut into wedges, warm or at room temperature, with generous spoonfuls of the luscious, purple sauce ladled over the top.
Duck with damson sauce
If you manage to glean only a handful of damsons, this is a terrific use for them. Serves five to six.
1 large (2.2-2.5kg) free-range duck
Sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper
250g damsons
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finelysliced
1 pinch dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp soy sauce
2-3 tsp redcurrant or crab apple jelly
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. If the duck is tied up, untruss it and gently pull the legs apart, away from the body – this will help the heat get to the meat. Season the duck skin well with salt and pepper. Put the bird in a roasting tin and roast for about 20 minutes, so the fat starts to run. Baste the bird with any rendered fat or juices, then cover it tightly with foil. Return to the oven and reduce the temperature to 150C/300F/gas mark 2, and cook for two to three hours, until the meat is very tender and easily comes away from the bone.
Put the damsons in a small, ovenproof dish and roast in the oven for the last 30 minutes of the duck's cooking time, to soften them.
Tip up the bird, pour any fat or juices out of the cavity into the roasting tin, and transfer the duck toa warmed plate to rest. Carefully pour off most of the fat from the roasting tin (save it in the fridge for next time you roast potatoes), leaving the brown juices in the tin.
Set the tin over a low heat, add theginger, garlic and chilli flakes, and cook, stirring, for two to three minutes. Add the soy sauce and four or five tablespoons of water, followed by the damsons, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for four to five minutes, until the fruit is tender and you can easily crush it with a wooden spoon. Now press this spicy damson compote/gravy through a sieve to remove the damson stones and skins, and the chunks of ginger and garlic. If the sauce is not thick enough for your liking, return it to a clean pan, bring to a boil and simmer for a minute or two to thicken. When it's the right consistency, whisk in the redcurrant jelly and taste – you may want to add more jelly, or another dash of soy.
To serve, take the meat from the duck – it should be forkably tender – and divide between warmed plates. Spoon the sauce over and around the meat, and serve. Noodles and wilted pak choi are a great accompaniment.
Damson cheese
This traditional fruit "cheese" is avery thick, sliceable preserve thatisimmensely good served with actual cheese. It keeps for ages. Makes 850-900g.
2kg damsons
Around 750g granulated sugar
Put the damsons in a large preserving pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring as the fruit begins to release its juices. Leave to simmer until completely soft. Tip the contents of the pan into a sieve and rub it through to remove the stones and skin, leaving you with a smooth damson purée.
Measure the purée by volume. For every 500ml, add 350g sugar, and combine in a large, heavy-based pan. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then cook gently, stirring regularly so it doesn't catch, until reduced to a thick purée. It's ready when you drag the spoon across the bottom of the pan and the base stays clearly visible for a second or two. This can take up to an hour of gentle, popping simmering and stirring.
Pour the "cheese" into very lightly oiled shallow plastic containers and leave to cool and set. It will keep almost indefinitely in the fridge. Serve in slices with bread and cheese, or, if you fancy, cut into cubes, dust lightly with granulated sugar and serve as a petit four.
Damson vodka
This rivals sloe gin for rich, sweet, deliciousness. Make it now for drinking next Christmas (allowing yourself a taster or two on bottling, of course). Makes around 1.5 litres.
1kg damsons, washed
500g sugar
1 litre vodka
Prick each damson several times with a pin, then transfer to a large, clean Kilner jar, demijohn or other suitable glass container with a tight-fitting lid or stopper. Add the sugar, pour in the vodka, seal and leave in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Every week or two, turn the jar on its head, then back again. After six months, strain the liquid through several layers of muslin, then bottle and seal tightly. Leave for at least another six months. It will be even better after two years – or more – provided you have the patience.
Hugh's new book, Three Good Things, is published by Bloomsbury at £25. To order a copy for £16 (including free UK mainland p&p), go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop orcall 0330 333 6846.
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