This year I am awash in strawberries and raspberries from my garden. But sandwiched in between, along my back garden stone wall, are four bushes of currants. One is a red currant, one is black and the other two are Champagne currants. Champagne currants are my favourite of the three, so I decided to plant two bushes instead of just one.
Before I began my gardening journey, I had heard of red currants and of course red currant jelly. A very British thing, usually served with pork. Like having cranberries with turkey if you are in the US. And like cranberries, it is a bitter sweet fruit, that adds a lovely tang to the meat. But the other two types had not crossed my radar until I moved to France.
Black Currants
When I first moved to France, I was caretaker at a Chateau and the garden I took care of there had both red currants and black currants. The black currants have such a fantastic scent, and are slightly sweeter. And if you are familiar with cassis (a sweet syrup or liqueur) it is made from these.
Cassis syrup can be made with or without alcohol. The latter is often used and particularly delicious in white wine or Champagne, otherwise known as a Kir if you find yourself in a bar here in France, or a Kir Royale if Champagne is used.
Both versions of Cassis are quite easy to make, too. It’s simply fruit, sugar and water. Brandy instead of water for the alcoholic version (and you don’t need to use the good stuff.)
Cassis recipe
For those who prefer metric: 500 grams fruit to 300 ml water and 300 grams sugar (give or take depending how sweet you like it. (Non metric inclined: 3 pounds fruit, 3 cups water and 3 cups sugar). If doing the brandy version recipe, you use more brandy than water and a little less sugar (due to the sweetness already present in brandy, particularly cheaper brandies.) In all of these, you simply boil, mash the fruit, sieve and store. (For ease, you can leave the stems on during boiling, since you then sieve.)
As you can tell I am not an ‘exact’cook. I used to be, but I’ve learned to spread my wings and be a little more experimental. As I love recipes from around the world, I often don’t have all the exact ingredients in my cupboard. So substitution regularly happens, and I have had some amazingly delicious discoveries in consequence. Give it a whirl. I really recommend it.
Champagne Currants
Now back to current day and currants. I had never heard of, let alone seen, Champagne currants. And honestly, I have to say, ‘Why had I not heard of these!?!’ They are delicious! Better, I think, then black and red. Unlike the other two, these can actually be eaten straight off the bush. Yes, they are still a little tart, but have much more natural sweetness than the other two.
Red currants are the little ones. Black currants are the plump ones. But Champagne currants are the biggest of all. And a gorgeous cream colour with a rose pink blush. I am guessing it is the colour that gave them their name.
Currant Jam
Currants have lots of natural pectin, so it’s a natural to make into a preserve. My go to recipe for currant jelly is super, super easy. And you don’t even have to de-stem the berries!
Wash, drain and then weigh your berries. Whatever weight they are, you then need half that weight in sugar. Put the berries in a heavy bottom saucepan (stems and all. Okay, maybe no leaves). Bring to a boil. Whilst boiling take a potato masher and mash the berries to release their juices. Boil for 10 minutes.
Now add the sugar. Once dissolved, boil for 8 minutes. Remove from the stove top. Put a sieve over a bowl. Use a fine mesh sieve, or if you don’t have one, line with cheese cloth or similar. Pour the currant jelly into the sieve and let the juice go through to the bowl. Push the remaining juice through with a spoon. Compost the left over mash. Sterlised jam jars at the ready, add your juice to the jars. Et Voila!
Mine does end up a bit more liquidy (is that a word?) than say jelly or jam like, but that is because I prefer it less sweet, so don’t add enough sugar to help it solidify. If you prefer it more solid, and more sweet, add more sugar.
Cooking with Currants
Now what to do with your deliciously made bounty? This jelly is perfect for cooking with. Think sweet and sour all in one container. A recipe calls for honey, try adding this jelly instead. Or it calls for vinegar, ditto. Or even barbecue sauce, try swapping this in.
My favourite is pork chops. I spread this jelly and a little mustard on a pork chop and sauté. Toss in some chopped mushrooms and walnuts, and you have a simple and absolutely delicious dish. (For vegetarians, try this with a veggie burger instead.)
Currants and the USA
I was recently talking with some guests I was guiding about gardening and we got onto the subject of currants, since they were coming to fruition in my garden. They told me that currants were allowed in their state, but not across the border in the neighbouring one. I had not even known they were not allowed in the first place. Queue research mode.
It turns out that Americans have a complicated relationship with currants. Not because they taste odd, but because blackcurrants were once accused of helping spread a disease that threatened the nation’s white pine forests. In a fit of botanical guilt by association, currant bushes were ripped out, banned, and generally treated as though they were plotting the downfall of civilisation.
It turns out the federal prohibition has long since vanished and currants are making a quiet comeback, although a few state restrictions still survive. In researching this, interestingly I came across an American blog post that offered a black currant substite by purchasing Ribena from the UK. Ribena is a non-alcoholic sweet syrup that is added to water to make a fruit drink, usually targetted at kids.
More Food?
For more food related posts from France, check out my Food Findings. For more recipes, here are those with recipes included.
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