dealing with a glut of berries (eg red and black currants)

I did 6.6kg over the weekend - mostly into the freezer and one batch of ice cream  :happy: OH informs me that is about a quarter  of the crop.  Of red currents. Then there are the black currents and gooseberries .... raspberries and not very many (because they didnt get weeded!) strawberries.  Errr .....   

Get out the jars and bottles. 

Ours started out as £1 plants from Aldi (or poundstretcher or something like that) - two goosegogs and 1 each of the others.  I then took a few cuttings when they were pruned and then ...      Now there are 5 or 6 of each and I am banned  from begging a white currant cutting or two.     Meanie, he is.  Unfortunately, he is also right!     but I have a cunning plan ....   

The redcurrent icecream is wonderful.  I'm going to have a go at your Crème fraiche sorbet tonight (see recipes thread) which I bet will be brilliant too.

I have 3 various berry trees +3 blueberry trees but no where near enough to worry about a surplus.
The Tayberry plant has browning fringes  on the leaves

Cheers

I sat this morning with bags, colanders, scissors, knife, tray, cuppa, telly, fan on and dealt with my pile of blackcurrants. While performing my mindless task I watched the new baby goings-on on the telly, which made the job less tedious.

The jam is now bubbling on the stove, with the sugar just added.  Better get back to it in case it burns 

It's good to sit sometimes and do these intensive little chores. Mind you I was lucky that no-one came to the door as usually  happens, usually when I'm soaking my feet. Perhaps I could have done the two jobs at the same time 

You have to stick with the jam once you've embarked on it (pardon the pun) and it takes quite a while from start to finish.  Once I'd completed the job I then had to embark on fresh scones so we could test the jam 
It's a very thick jam!  I like mine with a little less give but hey it's done now. Slice of jam anyone? 

Here they are, my finished jam pots

Oh, indeed you just have to make some scones to test the jam for quality control

Blackcurrant jam can go a little stiff if you leave it just a couple of minutes too long.
I am sure yours will be gorgeous.  We go blackcurrant picking at the moment until we have our fruit plot done and organised and OH prefers me to freeze them for tarts, pies, ices and cheesecakes... oh an mousses too.

However I am going through the freezers and using up the remaining fruit to make into jam so I have space to put the son's food for his birthday bash. I am feeling my age at the moment and need to spread the workload.

So maybe I can get away with using some of the blackcurrants for jam so long as I use it for the cupboard and not for sale

Quote from: madcat on July 22, 2013, 17:06

I did 6.6kg over the weekend - mostly into the freezer and one batch of ice cream  :happy: OH informs me that is about a quarter  of the crop.  Of red currents. Then there are the black currents and gooseberries .... raspberries and not very many (because they didnt get weeded!) strawberries.  Errr .....   

Buy some Jam Jars and get Jamming. 

Madcat already posted to say she has a cunning plan Bob 

but I have a cunning plan ....   

The redcurrent icecream is wonderful.  I'm going to have a go at your Crème fraiche sorbet tonight (see recipes thread) which I bet will be brilliant too.

The sorbet sounds good    May have to go and check that one out myself