Can You Eat Damsons Off The Tree?

You can eat Damsons off the tree, but you may not like the taste if it is unripened.

These ovoid-shaped fruits are small in size, have deep black & blue colors, and have a bitter taste. When the fruit begins to form, you can eat it straight off the tree after it ripens.

However, the damson tree takes longer to mature and produce a harvest. So, you must know when to pick and eat Damsons right off the tree. Here is everything you need to learn about Damsons.

Yes, you can definitely eat damsons off the tree by noticing the color of the Damson. You can identify if it’s fully ripened or needs more time to mature. Usually, the ripened Damsons have deep black & blue color with a softened texture, which you can eat.

It’s not tricky to determine if the fruit has ripened, but you may mistakenly confuse other fruits such as bullaces, sloe, berries, and plums for damsons.

You can differentiate by checking the size and shape of the fruit. Damsons can grow up to 3 cm in size while their shape remains ovoid. Once the fruit is identified, you can check if it’s ready to eat. An unripe damson has yellow-green skin, while the texture is quite hard.

What Does Damson Taste Like?

The Damson taste completely depends on whether it is cooked or raw. The taste of unripe damson is sour with hard flesh, while the ripened fruit tastes bitter. You can only get the sweet taste of damson when cooked properly.

How do you know when a damson is ripe? Unlike unripe fruits, a fully ripe damson tastes much better, specifically in areas where trees are grown in direct sunlight. You will get a sweet taste from the damson's purplish blue exterior and yellowish interior, a delicious snack to eat after the meal. Due to the variety in taste, these fruits make jellies and jams.

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Are Wild Damsons Poisonous?

Damsons are edible; you can eat them without worrying if they are poisonous or dangerous. However, the right time to eat them is when they are fully ripe because their taste can vary at different stages.

The original taste of Damson is bitter but sometimes astringent because they dry out the mouth. This usually happens when the fruit isn’t fully ripe. You may not like the taste at this stage and avoid eating the fruit in the future. But once the Damson ripens, its tart taste remains the same, but the extreme level gets low.

Once they are cooked, their taste turns out so good, with deep flavor rife and sweet notes. It doesn’t taste astringent after going through the cooking process.

In What Forms Can You Eat Damsons?

Damson doesn’t only give a pleasing taste but has many health benefits. You can use it in various ways inside the kitchen to serve alone or cook inside other dishes.

You can add them as topping on ice cream to pastry filling for a tart or sour taste.

Can you eat fresh damsons? Eating fresh damsons right off the tree may not suit your taste buds if you do not like extremely sour flavors in fruits. But the most accurate method is to cook them before eating to get the best flavors.

You can eat it in multiple forms and make many damson recipes, such as,

Damson goes best with different kinds of sweet dishes and helps turn many ordinary desserts into extraordinary ones. You can add them to pies, tarts, cobblers, and fruity cheeses.
Not just desserts, you can even drink beverages flavored with damson. Wines, vodkas, and gin include a sufficient amount of this fruit to enhance the flavor and make the whole drink more enjoyable. You can store it in the refrigerator for six months to let it ripe to use later on.
Who doesn’t like Damson jam? It is one of the most popular and flavorful jams. You might have tried raspberry or strawberry jams, but the damson jam is prepared with much more effort and a lengthy cooking process to make it worth eating.

When Do Damson Trees Blossom?

Damson trees are in full blossom in April, the flowering month when white flowers appear on the tree. You must plant these trees between November and March to get into this phase.

In August and October, the Damson trees have dark green foliage and white flowers that display the right time for ripening fruits with black and blue color and soft flesh.

Do Damson Trees Fruit Every Year?

So, how long does it take a Damson tree to fruit? The tree looks fine and grows well yearly, but the fruit appears only at certain times. Usually, the tree remains in bloom with flowers in April, while the fruit starts to grow in late summer or before winter.

FAQs

How many calories does damson include?

There are 35 calories in damson, with 0.5 g of protein, 260 g of potassium, less than 0.1 g of salt, and 0 mg of cholesterol.

How to ripen damsons early?

Keeping the damsons on countertops or anywhere at room temperature makes them ripe earlier. However, cold temperatures are unsuitable and disturb the flavor, but the extreme heat can cause rotting. So, keep your fruit in a paper bag closed properly for safe and quick ripening.

Are damson stones poisonous?

Damson stones contain cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin, which is toxic and unsafe to eat. However, the poisonous effects of damson stones prevail when you eat too much of them. So, eat only a few damsons at a time.

Final Thoughts

You may love eating fresh-picked fruits, but can you eat damsons off the tree? This has often confused many, but you can eat it straight from the tree to enjoy its sweet and sour taste.

However, the cooked or fully ripe damson tastes much better than raw, so waiting to let it get the best taste will be more suitable. But it is your choice if you want sweet or bitter flavors.