We should all keep a Polaroid photo of the first time we tasted fresh red currant! Yes, everything that is growing as a shinny attractive candy-red grape, isn’t as sweet as what it looks like…
Yet, the flavor of groseille with its powerful tart acidity can be one of the most delicate addition to your morning tartine or to your main course. The flavor of red currant in full season is just stunningly different compared to the one we get from green houses all year long – but I guess that’s the case for all fruits… (hello there! How about keeping only seasonal fruits on your menus!) Just like decades ago, I still love my fresh red currant rolled in white sugar and eaten off the grape: so delicious! For many generations in our family, summer rhymes with preserves, jams and jellies. This summer I had the luck to find our red currant bushes loaded like never before!
Click here to see the making of red currant jelly back home!
There is no secret recipe here, it’s fruit, sugar and lemon juice! What is just amazing is that with my habits of pastry chef of measure everything, I asked my mother how much water, sugar, fruit and lemon and how many degrees and she smiled back at me with her wooden spatula and laughed! I guess practice makes perfect then! However, if you happen to have 4 minutes to spare, watch the video and you will see at minute 2:35, this is the actual crucial part of the fruit containing most of the pectin. After straining the fruits, we make sure that all what is left on the outer part of the sieve is added to the liquid to be boiled; this will allow us to reach the right texture once set – although we need to wait for 1 good day for the proper setting – it’s worth waiting!
Spread on a toasted whole wheat sourdough with a good amount of butter is out of this world!
