DAMSON GIN

I have always credited British celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for introducing Kiwi palates to damson gin on his TV show River Cottage. But it turns out a damson gin recipe was first published in the Woman’s World column of New Zealand’s Evening Star in 1910. The instructions were as follows: “Put into a half gallon stone jar three breakfast cupfuls of sound, ripe damsons and six ounces of sugar candy. Fill up the jar with unsweetened gin. Cork down tightly and bottle at the end of one year.”

Ingredients: fresh damsons, sugar to taste, gin, vodka, brandy or white rum Method: Rinse, pat dry, prick and pack firm, ripe damsons into one-litre glass jars. Add ½ cup sugar per jar (you may need more, depending on the sourness of the fruit, but you can sweeten the liqueur to taste when you strain it later).

Top with gin (at least 37-40 per cent alcohol by volume), leaving about 1-2cm clear at the top of the jar, and screw on the lid. Shake gently to encourage the sugar to start dissolving. Over the next few days, shake the jars from time to time, until the sugar has dissolved and the liquor is deep pink.

Store in a cool, dark cupboard for at least six months; a full year if you can resist drinking it. Strain out the shrivelled fruit – reserve for desserts – and adjust sweetness by adding more gin or sugar. Decant into bottles to store.