Blackcurrant Recipes

The recipes here have been gathered over the years from various books, magazines (and 1 or 2 homemade ones). If you have a recipe to suggest then drop me a line.

Blackcurrant Whip

Ingredients

8oz blackcurrants, 1/2oz gelatin, 1/2 pint water, 1 egg white and 2oz sugar

Put fruit with stem into saucepan with water and simmer until soft. Strain juices through sieve and while hot add sugar. Soften gelatin in four tablespoons of cold water. Warm gelatin over hot water until dissolved, then add to blackcurrant juice and stand until cold or beginning to set. Fold stiffly beaten egg white into juice, turn into mould. When set garnish with whipped cream.

Blackcurrant Steamed Pudding

Mix 6 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of blackcurrant jam, dates/raisons or sultanas to your requirements. Then mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 1/2 cup of milk then add 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Add to the other mix and steam for 2 hours. Mix in this order.

Blackcurrant Conserve

Boil 1 pint water with 4 lb. of sugar for 6 minutes. Add 2 lb. of cleaned (de-strigged) blackcurrants. Boil for 4 minutes. Makes 7 jars approx.

Blackcurrant Jam

Boil blackcurrants uncleaned covered with water. Then put this through a colander and measure 1 cup of pulp to 1 cup of sugar. Boil until set – to see how well it is set put a small amount in a saucer.

Or

To every 1 lb. of blackcurrants put 1 pint of water and 1 ½ lb. of sugar. Boil water and blackcurrants for ¾ hour then add sugar and boil until set.

Blackcurrant Soufflé

Ingredients

1 lb. of blackcurrants, 7 oz of sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 level tablespoon gelatin, 3 tablespoons water, 1 oz chopped walnuts and cream.

Wash blackcurrants using a fork to strip them from the stems. Place in pan and cook over low heat until soft. Puree or rub through a sieve. Separate eggs; put the yolks, sugar and blackcurrant puree into bowl. Over hot water in a pan whip until it is thick and creamy. Remove bowl from pan. Dissolve gelatin over low heat. Fold into creamy mixture and leave until it starts to set. Whisk cream and then the egg whites. Fold two thirds of cream and egg whites into the nearly set mixture then turn into a dish and spread level. Leave overnight to set. Turn out and spread a thin layer of cream round the sides of soufflé.  With palette knife lift nuts onto sides. Pipe cream onto the top.

Autumn Pudding

Ingredients

1 lb. cooking apples, 1lb blackcurrants, 1/2 pint water, 8 oz sugar and 8 slices of bread – not fresh.

Prepare apples and put into a pan with cleaned blackcurrants and water. Stew over low heat until soft. Stir in sugar and mash with fruit. Cut crusts from bread and line base and sides of basin. Pour 1 third apple mix into basin and cover with more bread. Repeat layers finishing with bread. Put plate on top of mix and weigh down. Leave overnight in the refrigerator. Turn out and serve with cream the bread will have absorbed all the fruit juices.

Blackcurrant Flan

Cook pastry on a flan dish. Fill with the following mix.
1-lb of cleaned blackcurrants cooked with ¼ pint water and 4-oz sugar. Thicken with 2 tablespoons cornflour and pour into pastry and chill. Serve with whipped cream.

Cassis Roll 

Serves 6-8
For the sponge

3 large eggs (size 2) separated, 4-oz caster sugar, the grated rind and juice of half a lemon, 2-oz semolina and ½ oz ground almonds.

For the filling

½ lb. cleaned blackcurrants, ¼ pint of water, 2-oz sugar, 2 level tablespoons cornflour, 6 fl oz carton double cream, 1-tablespoon milk and a little icing sugar.

A 13 by 9 inch Swiss roll tin, greased and lined.

Set the oven to 350 F/180.
Put the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl over a pan of steaming water and whisk until thick and pale in colour. Add the lemon juice and continue to whisk until the mixture holds a trail for 5 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in the semolina and almonds, then leave it to stand for 10 minutes. Beat the egg whites until they just hold their shape, then carefully fold them into the semolina mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it level with a palette knife. Bake just above the centre of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm and golden.
While the cake is cooking, make the filling. Dissolve the sugar in the water over gentle heat then boil for 5 minutes. Add the prepared fruit and simmer until the fruit is tender – about 5 minutes. Blend the cornflour into a smooth paste with a little water, and then stir then stir it into the blackcurrants. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time, and cook for about 1 minute until thick. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool.
Place a sheet of greaseproof paper, about 20 by 16 inches, over a clean tea towel and sprinkle a thin layer of caster sugar over the paper. When the cake is cooked, slip a knife round the edge before turning it out onto the sugared paper. Remove the lining paper. With a sharp knife, draw a line about ½ inch in across one of the shorter ends, then carefully roll up the cake with the paper and tea towel inside. Leave until partially cool. Whisk the cream with the milk until thick. While the cake is still warm, unroll and trim the edges if necessary. Spread the blackcurrant mixture over the cake and spread a layer of cream over the top. Carefully reroll the cake – without the paper and towel.
Transfer cake to a serving plate and, if possible, chill for ½ to 1 hour before serving. Serve the Cassis Roll dusted with a little icing sugar.

Blackcurrant and Raspberry Sauce (recommended)

Ingredients

2 cups blackcurrants, 1 cup raspberries, 2 tablespoons custard powder, 1 cup water 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of Brandy

Bring blackcurrants, water, sugar and custard powder to boil. Stir continuously and add raspberries and Brandy. Allow to cool and serve with ice cream.

Blackcurrant Ice Cream Topping

Clean and wash the blackcurrants and place in a preserving jar. Half fill the jar with cold boiled water and then fill with Gin. Leave in refrigerator. Do not use for at least two weeks. Keeps for months in refrigerator. Pour a little over ice cream.

Blackcurrant Juice

Ingredients

1.4 kg (3lbs) of Blackcurrants, 2.7 kg of Sugar, 3.3 Litre (6 pints) of Water and 1 cup White Vinegar or 2 Tablespoons of Acetic Acid.

Directions

Boil blackcurrants in 1.1 lit (2 pints) of water until soft. Then strain well through a sieve or cheesecloth. Boil sugar in 2.2 lit (4 pints) of water. Add the blackcurrant liquid and bring to boil. Add 1 cup of white vinegar or 2 tablespoons of 33 1/3 % acetic acid. Then bottle, making sure to overflow bottle slightly to avoid possible mould on top of juice.

This is a concentrate mix so dilute to your own taste. Great served hot or cold.