There’s a telling change in the air which heralds the beginning of autumn. Even though I haven’t yet seen more than one or two reddening leaves, a new scent tells me that the woodland around our house is preparing for the distant winter months. Ripening fruits, nuts, and large mushrooms are all flourishing at the moment, and our Victoria plum tree is bowing its branches to the ground once again. But one of my favourite autumnal fruits has to be damson. Like a distilled plum flavour, more tart than sweet and with a deep, rich viscous juice when cooked, it’s such an old-fashioned flavour. My husband likes to make jam with them, we freeze batches for future breakfasts – served with yoghurt and honey - and I often make a small amount of damson gin, the fruity flavour of which is very welcome in the depths of winter. This year I’m even experimenting with damson icecream, which I think is going to be delicious.

The evocation of season in the taste of food is something I’ve really tried to capture in my Kitchen Calendar, which shows what might be cooking in the differently months of the year. The September and October pages show the appearance of plums and damsons, and the November post shows the damsons and sloes steeping in gin bottles on the kitchen table.

To make damson gin:

Wash about a pound of damsons, then prick them all over with a fork.
Half fill a wide mouthed bottle or jar with gin and a cup of sugar.
Put the damsons into the bottle and shake. Store in a cupboard.
Shake the bottle gently every week or so for a couple of months.
Strain the gin through a muslin cloth or fine sieve into the bottle you wish to serve your gin from. You’re supposed to let this ‘mature’ in the bottle for another year, but I never wait that long.

Co-authored with my daughter, Charlotte Maberly.