Recipes

Using allotment produce to make lush food

I love cooking. I love feeding my family hearty meals that I produce from scratch. When the allotment is up and running, I'm hoping to continue providing the healthy, fresh meals with my own produce.

Redcurrant Cordial

If the redcurrants are still on the tresses, don’t worry. Pick through the tresses/redcurrants and get rid of any bad ones. Wash them thoroughly.

I’ve used empty wine bottles which I’ve washed thoroughly and then sterilized in the oven (info below).

Ingredients:

1 kilo/2lbs redcurrants

400ml/13floz water

225g sugar (granulated or caster)

Sterilize your jars by first washing them with soap, then leaving them in the oven at 100C/212F for 15 minutes. Take them out of the oven right before you are ready to fill the jars.

Put the currants in a large pan with the water. Put the pan over low heat, then gently bring to a simmer. This may take some time, even an hour. Do not stir. When it boils, turn off the heat and leave to infuse with the lid on. They are finished when the currants have changed colour (greyish red).

Strain the currants through a muslin without pushing the berries. This will take about 10 minutes. If you squeeze with your hands, the cordial will turn cloudy – I personally don’t mind this.

Return the liquid to the pan, this time with the sugar. Boil briefly, until the sugar is dissolved, about a minute.

Skim off the foam and pour the cordial in sterilized jars.

7 September 2018