October 10th, 2021
BLACKCURRANTS
We’ve been enjoying something of an Indian Summer here in Rutland. We are well into October but the sun still has real warmth in it. It’s a pleasure to sit in the new garden which is now taking shape (more on that in future Journals) and enjoy the bonus of an extended summer.
Yesterday we had a cup of tea in the garden – scones thickly spread with my Best Blackcurrant Extra Jam and a good dollop of clotted cream. Not a traditional Cornish Cream Tea with Strawberry Jam I know but somehow the Blackcurrant Jam seemed appropriate to the season.
It’s been a bumper year for fruit and in particular blackcurrants. There’s just something very luxurious about blackcurrant jam, the colour is so very intense and the smell of the jam cooking is wonderful. Blackcurrants are very high in pectin so the jam reaches a setting point in no time at all, perhaps the very short boiling time keeps the colour vibrant and the fresh, tart flavour so pronounced.
I often give a jar to members of the family and the jam is much enjoyed by the toddlers in the clan, they manage to get it everywhere, mind you, so blackcurrant jam often only comes out at the weekend when perhaps there is more time to clean up the unholy mess on faces, fingers, clothes, napkins and tablecloths.
Recently I’ve made a large amount of Best Blackcurrant Extra Jam (the ‘Extra Jam’ bit means, to put it simply, lots and lots of fruit in every jar.)
Have a look on the ‘Shop’ section and perhaps order some of this particular jam for your scones, toast, crumpets and all those delicious treats which make an Autumn afternoon cup of tea so very pleasurable.