With all those delicious vitamin C and antioxidant filled Blackcurrants almost all harvested and frozen it’s time to think what to do with them. I will as usual make lots of Blackcurrant Jam. This sells well at local shops and markets. I also want to make a Blackcurrant Chutney this year. Anyone out there ever made a chutney from Blackcurrants? Do you have a good recipe to share?
cor
Blackcurrant cordial is another definite to make. It’s a great way to get your Vitamin c throughout the Winter. It makes a lovely hot drink too, just add hot water to your cordial and a little honey if desired. So without further ado here is the recipe:
Blackcurrant Cordial
500g blackcurrants
275g sugar
250ml water
half a teaspoon of citric acid
In a heavy based saucepan simmer everything together for 5 minutes. Using a potato masher, break up the fruit to release all the juice. Add the citric acid and simmer for another 2 minutes. Strain through a double layer of muslin, Pour into sterilised bottles while still hot.
If you would like to fortify your cordial with brandy just let the cordial cool and add brandy before bottling.
fromacountrycottage 
That’s a great recipe to have (thank you for sharing), because I grow black currants but never know what to do with them – I do now 🙂
Great to have in your cupboard for Winter.
When I have a good year with blackcurrants I like to make cordial too – a lovely winter drink. Last year I didn’t have any blackcurrants, this year the bushes have made up for it – so it looks like it jam as well.
Great! Its a good Blackcurrant year in Ireland too.
I have what seems like a ton of black currants here. This morning I made six jars of jam but I might diversify into cordial! That would be a lovely reminder of summer in the dark days of winter!
Yes it’s great for a winter drink…especially if you add the brandy.
I need to put citric acid on my shopping list, thank you for the reminder as there is nothing like homemade cordial
Absolutely not…I will make Blackberry cordial later on. Looks like being a good crop this year.
Love it. What a great idea.
Michael
So easy to make too and well worth it too.
Hi Bridget – Just discovered a brilliant Irish blog called Bealtaine Cottage (you probably know about it and subscribe to it already) and found what the lovely Colette calls an ancient recipe for the chutney.
Here ’tis:
1 lb Blackcurrants
1 lb moist brown sugar
1/4 lb chopped seedless raisins
1oz crushed mustard seeds
1oz chopped onion
1/2 oz ground ginger
2 ozs salt
1/2 pint distilled white vinegar
Cover the currants with the vinegar, and cook them gently until they are tender.
Let them cool, then mix in all the other ingredients.
Stir well together, boil up for about ten minutes, and bottle and cover tightly when cold.
There’s also an Indian foodie blog that I subscribe to, and they have a Kashmiri version of blackcurrant chutney. A lot spicier, from the list of ingredients, so it’d be interesting to try both recipes and see which one tickles my tastebuds more. If you’d like that Kashmiri recipe, let me know, and I’ll either send it to you or post it here.
Do check out Colette’s blog, though – I’ve a very strong feeling that you’ll love it.
Thanks June!
What a wealth of blackcurrant bushes you’ve inherited on your new property! We have two baby Ben Sareks bought just this summer; am looking forward to future harvests.
We were very lucky to have all those Blackcurrants here. Good crop too even though they badly needed pruning.
Your blackcurrant cordial sounds good, I’d love to make some – just need to find some citric acid, it was in very short supply here during elderflower season.
I get it in the chemist shop. They usually have a stock of it. It helps the cordial to keep.
I was going to say our mutual friend had posted a recipe for chutney but someone beat me to it! Have tried to phone you but can never get you, wanted to let you know that Connaught Gold in Ballaghadreen have ALL their plants at half price, bought some nice stuff there yesterday. Will try to ‘phone you tomorrow. (Wed)
Oh! Dang! I’m heading down to Tipperary today for a family wedding…not back until Sunday. Then Monday is a Bank Holiday. Hopefully they will have some left by Tuesday next. Thanks Anne.
Reblogged this on Blueberry Girls MIRACLE.
Thanks for reblog!
Interesting. We eat green berries here in Illinois … called gooseberries. They look very similar to the green currants. Do you know anything about them?
Gooseberries are a totally different fruit to blackcurrants. I don’t like them raw…great for jam and pies. Gooseberry fool is delicious. They are prone to mildew in Ireland so best grown on a stem.
Thanks for the explanation!
I have always wished we had black currants.
Thanks for this cordial recipe, B. I’ll have to hunt down some blackcurrents as I don’t grow them but I love the flavour in jam. Can see lots of uses for the cordial in desserts and cocktails!
Harvesting berries is addictive. I am currently picking blueberries every day to,put on my oatmeal, delicious.
Mmmmm….fresh picked blueberries on porridge….what a gorgeous way to start the day. Yum! 🙂