Grow Your Own Magazine

I have a redcurrant and a whitecurrant bush that have both fruited well.

But (and apologies for the dumb question) what can you actually do with red and whitecurrants? Any recipe ideas would be gratefully received.

Thanks.

Not dumb at all, I was wondering the same as I've got red, white & black currant bushes

Maybe Piglet will post his recipe for Redcurrant jelly. Blackcurrant jam is a favourite I guess not sure about white currants.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

there was a thread about white currant recipes - if you google for recipes you can bring up a couple for wine

__________________
How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”

Oh no Sunbeam, I'm not falling for the old google for that trick, I was the one who caught LJ out remember

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Currant jelly
Place your currants in a saucepan with a little water ( about one tablespoon) just to stop it sticking. Cook until the currants burst and leak their juice. Place into a jelly bag over a bowl. (if you don't have a jelly bag use a sieve lined with a clean cloth, blue j clothes work, but check they're not impregnated with anti bacterial stuff. leave overnight or until completely finished dripping. If you want to be a perfectionist, resist the urge to push more juice through with a spoon or to squeeze the bag as the jelly will go cloudy.
measure the amount of juice you have, add the same amount of sugar by volume. I add the juice of half a lemon for every cup or so. Bring to the boil making sure all the sugar has dissolved first. Currant jelly sets really quickly so test after the first five minutes or so. Place a little on a cold saucer (I put a few in the fridge when I start) place in fridge fro a few minutes. If it wrinkles when you push it with your finger its done. Pour into sterilised jars.
I use redcurrants, or a mixture of red and white. I usually make jam with the blackcurrants.

Currants also make good sorbet, but I'll have to think about that before I post a recipe as you need more precise measurements.

Ta BK,
My son announced today he likes redcurrant jelly so I'll pick him some

My WHite currant bush seems to be a bit on the shy side at the moment but I've got loads of red & black currants.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

you've lost me Nick! which google trick was that??

__________________
How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”

Sunbeam if you REALLY want to know the full horrors of the google story then you will need to go to General Chitchat, page 4 and the thread The Kettles On, Take A Seat And Put up Your Feet. Read page 2.

__________________
[

OH!!!!

Enlightenment of the non-pudding-kind! You don't get anything so exciting when you google for white currants - I tried it already ...

although I'm sure if you tried "I'm feeling lucky.....!!!! "

__________________
How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”

I remember googling for a spotted dick recipe for my manager at work. She's from the US and while having a conversation about traditional foods, I asked her if she'd ever had a spotted dick. Well.... you can imagine what she thought of me for asking!!

While googling (to prove this was really a recipe - and I wasn't just being cheeky!!), I came across some rather unsavoury sites....

Yes.... I'm sure you would say that!

__________________
Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

I think you have me misunderstood shortie.... when I said the sites were rather unsavoury... I simply meant they were describing sweet treats rather than savoury treats like sausage rolls...

Not too sure what you thought I meant....??

When I first arrived in this country went for a typing test. Needed to save it to a removable disk. Wandered into the office and asked for a stiffy! Didn't live that down for a long time!

where are you from, Squirrel?

__________________
How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”

Sorry guys - just to go back to the blackcurrants for a moment.... should they be ready to do something with now? They look lovely and ripe on the bush, but taste pretty bitter.... I'm not sure if they're not ripe enough, or just that they're not normally eaten just raw and on their own?

I'll happily cook an apple and blackcurrant tart or something like that, if they're not meant to be eaten on their own. I'm just not sure if they're only suitable for cooking, or if mine aren't ripe enough.

Does anybody else eat them raw (you can do that with redcurrants can't you?).

I am from Southern Africa Sunbeam - moved around all the countries as far North as Zambia. Left the UK when I was three and returned for personal reasons 10 years ago now.

I miss Africa - it gets into your soul and never leaves - but I am a very happy bunny over here. I just love the seasons and the colours they bring! Not to mention the soil in my garden - I don't need a pick axe to break it up being sandy!

Hi Slug, I used to pick blackcurrants for a local farmer when I was on school summer hols (july-sept) and they were always slightly sour - but not mouth-puckeringly so!

I use them to make a fool - gently cooking them with a bit of sugar until they pop and leaving them to cool before either blitzing and mixing with cream... or just stirring directly in to whipped cream (greek yog is more healthy - but I didn't get my gorgrous curves from eating more healthy!)

What veggies did you grow in SA, Squirrel?? Could you grow the more exotic fruits and veggies?? Have you tried growing any veggies from SA here??

__________________
How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”

We were able to grow all the hot weather veg most of the year round! Pumpkins, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, gem squash. Most of the varieties are specially bred to take the heat - this heatwave is normal summer weather where I come from!

I have tried growing SA seeds that I have brought back with me (in sealed commercial seed packets) and they do grow, but don't fruit very well. My aubergines grew into bushes about 2 foot high and had plenty of fruit. Grew them in the front garden next to the path! Chillies and peppers of course grew like mad as did bouginviallia, pointesettias (spell?) and hibiscus.

I never had a green house until I came to this country! Didn't need one just planted seed straight into the ground. Cape Goosberries grew all year round giving enough fruit to make jam. Avocado Trees so large you could make tree houses in them, so much fruit it just rotted on the ground. A different sort from that you buy in the shop, so suspect it did not transport well. Bananas too! Oh I could go on and on.

The downside was the terrific heat in summer dried out the ground and made it like concrete! Being so hot of course it was difficult to work during mid day.
Any of the cool weather crops, peas, lettuce, beans, etc were difficult to grow unless done in winter - no winter rain where I lived.

In the Namib desert grew the most wonderful carrots! The soil is very fertile just no water!

Thanks Sunbeam - the blackcurrant fool sounds soooo yummy! At least now I know they're supposed to be a bit 'sharp', I'm not worried that they're not ripe enough.

I can think of some lovely recipe's that I'll have to try now!

Some time ago I was googling to find out how to grow large show onions. I made the mistake of typing in 'Big Onions' as a search!!!! Phew... Certainly had an eye opener there....nearly had my eye put out as well!!!

Recipe for white currant jelly c/o Mrs Beeton:

Ingredients: white currants.
To each pint of juice allow 3/4lb of preserving sugar

Method: Pick the currants from the stalk, and put them into a jar. Place the jar in a saucepan of boiling water, simmer gently until the juice is extracted, then strain through a jelly bag or fine cloth into a preserving pan. To each pint allow from 3/4lb to 1 lb of sugar, accordingly to taste, and boil gently until the jelly quickly sets, when a little is poured on a cold plate. turn into small pots, cover with tissue paper brushed over with white of egg, fasten securely, and keep the jelly in a cool, dry place.

Time: About 1 1/4 hrs.

Another good idea methinks, but better if you had a house full of servants and your own cook! dexterdog

__________________
Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

red currants are fine raw all others benifit from a little cooking.

__________________
Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull