Can You Freeze Damsons?

Damsons are essentially smaller plumbs, but what they lack in size, they deliver in flavour! People enjoy damsons just as they are, but they’re also a popular ingredient in crumbles, pies, and other desserts.

If you’ve bought a batch of damsons from your local greengrocer, you might be wondering if it’s possible to freeze damsons to ensure they last a little longer and can be used in future recipes? Let’s dive in and find out.

How to Freeze Damsons

There’s nothing too difficult about freezing damsons. They’re a delicious fruit packed with flavour and goodness, and freezing them is an excellent way of preserving them for longer than a week.

Below are the steps you need to take to freeze damsons:

1. Wash
   Place your damsons in a colander and run them under the cold tap for around thirty seconds, gently massaging them with your hands. Make sure any dirt is removed from their skin.
2. Peel and Slice (Optional)
   Once washed, you can peel and slice your damsons if you can peel and slice your damsons if you wish.
   
   This is purely optional, as much of the flavour and nutrients exist in the skin, so you may want to leave them whole to guarantee the best flavour and taste.
3. Dry
   Pat the damsons dry with a paper towel.
4. Place in a Freezer-Safe Bag
   Place your washed and dried damsons in a freezer-safe bag, and squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing.
5. Label and Freeze
   Write the date you purchased (or picked) the damsons, as well as the use-by date on the front of the freezer-safe bag, before placing them in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze damsons for around three months.

3 Tips for Freezing Damsons

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing damsons to have the best results:

Make Sure They’re Ripe
You should only freeze damsons that are ripe and ready to eat. If you’ve bought a batch of damsons that are unripe, you should leave them in the fruit bowl until they’re ready to eat. They will then be ready to prepare and freeze.

Freeze in Syrup
One complaint that some people have when freezing damsons is that they discolour. While this shouldn’t affect the taste, it can be an issue if you’re hoping to bake a damson crumble or holiday pie! Adding sugar and lemon syrup to your batch of damsons before freezing them will help to retain their colour.

Separate Into Portions
If you’re planning to use damsons in baking, it’s helpful to freeze them in appropriate portion sizes as opposed to in a large batch. This makes your life a lot easier when defrosting damsons, as you can easily remove the serving that you need for your specific recipe.

If you’re fortunate enough to grow damsons in your garden, freezing them in batches will also allow you to manage your stock and ensure your delicious damsons don’t go to waste!

How Long Can You Freeze Damsons?

You can freeze damsons for around three months.

Damsons will remain fresh in a fruit bowl for around one week after ripening, and you can even store them in the fridge if you wish. Make sure the damsons are ripe and fresh before you freeze them. You should discard any damaged or bruised damsons, as they won’t freeze well.

You Can Freeze Damsons for up to 3 Months

How Do You Defrost Damsons?

The best way to defrost damsons is to take them out of the freezer and place them in the fridge. They will then thaw out in a few hours and be ready to enjoy or add to your desired recipe.

However, if you plan to use damsons in smoothies, you don’t need to defrost them and can simply remove them from the freezer and add them to the blender as they are.

You could even make up smoothie fruit bags with other fruit that can be frozen. You can then tip a whole bag into the blender.

Can You Refreeze Damsons?

When you freeze damsons, small ice crystals will form on their skin. As they thaw, these crystals will melt and affect the moisture content of the fruit. As such, if you freeze damsons more than once, it will affect their taste and sweetness.

While it’s safe to freeze damsons more than once if they’ve been thawed in the fridge, you should avoid doing so if you want to avoid disappointment!

Do Damsons Freeze Well?

Damsons freeze extremely well. Just like many other fruits, they will retain much of their flavour, taste, and texture once they have thawed and will be a delicious snack or addition to a range of recipes.

Just make sure your damsons are ripe and fresh when they’re frozen, and you will have a delicious batch of fruit in your freezer for around three months.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing damsons or damsons in general, then these may help: