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Damson Leather
Damson Leather is a traditional British recipe for a classic candy-like sheet made from damson plum puree baked until set and which can be eaten as a sweet (candy) or used as the basis for fruit soups, purees and desserts. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Damson Leather.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
150 minutes
Total Time:
170 minutes
Serves:
12–15
Rating: 
Tags : Dessert RecipesBaking RecipesBritish Recipes
Fruit leathers are an excellent way of preserving certain fruit for later use in the year. Leathers are dissolved to make drinks in the Middle East and are also used as the basis for fruit desserts or they can be eaten as sweets (candies), making them much more versatile than you think. This recipe is for a classic recipe using damson plums that preserves the fruit's colour and rich flavour in the leather.
Ingredients:
500g damson plums, roughly halved (no need to pit)
3 tbsp honey (or, to taste)
Method:
Making the purée is simplicity itself. Combine the damsons and 80ml water in a saucepan then add the honey and bring to a simmer. Cook gently until the fruit begin to soften and break down then bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until the pulp breaks down and the stones are visible. Take off the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
At this point, pass through a fine-meshed sieve to remove the stones any large pieces of skin (press down with the back of a spoon to get the most liquid out). You should end up with about 500ml of purée.
Now line a baking tray with heat-proof clingfilm (the kind you can microwave). Note that an average baking tray (about 30cm x 42cm) will hold about 500ml of purée.
Add the damson purée to the covered baking tray, spread evenly with a spatula (you want a depth of about 4mm) then place in an oven pre-heated to 140°C. Place the baking tray in the oven but leave the door ajar (you want the steam to escape, as you are drying the leather) and cook for about 6 hours, or until the fruit leather is very dry. The exact drying time will depend on the sugar levels, the more sugar the longer it will take to dry.
The leather must be completely dry, or it will not keep. To ensure the leather is dry simply try to pull it away from the clingfilm (plastic wrap). If it comes away easily and holds its shape then it is dry (make sure its not too dry though, as then it will crumble bit it can still be eaten as a candy).
To store, cover the fruit leather in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and roll loosely. Place in a clean, dry container and seal (I typically use a pasta jar with a bung). It will keep in the store cupboard for between 4 and 12 months or you can refrigerate and keep even longer.
