Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: sclarke624 on July 06, 2010, 19:36
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This is the second year of my blackcurrant bush 'Ben Conan'. I'm sure I read you could eat them straight of the bush..................I did.....they are 'orrible. The first year I thought it was because they were new, but they still taste yuk this year.
So what do you do with them, cook them, put in jam, to make them platable. As I think I am doing something wrong.
Do people eat them straight from the plant?
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I should think that is extremely rare. I like them stewed with plenty of sugar and poured hot over good quality vanilla icecream. Yum
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thats strange this is my second year of ben conan and i thougt thay tasted grate , may be its a matter off indervidual tastes
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Possibly too early.
They turn purple-black then produce sugars.
Colour therefore isn't a 100% indicator of being ripe.
All the various Ben xxxx types seem to say harvest mid-late July.
Can/will depend on how far North/South you are.
Wait until the birds start eating them, then they are ready :D :ohmy: :D :ohmy: :D
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I love blackcurrants straight from my bushes. Gently squeeze them, and if they feel soft and squishy, they are ready to eat. I also make jam with them, which is also very good!
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I don't like the taste of blackcurrants at all and it's a pity cos I've got about half a dozen invited bushes and quite a few more uninvited ones as they keep seeding themselves all over the garden. I've even got one growing out of the top of my willow tree trunk. I guess the birds like them and they're planting the new ones for me.
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I'll leave it a couple of weeks then, and taste again. But will probalby end up cooking them. Nobby is that straight from the bush though.
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Do people eat them straight from the plant?
Not usually, no. Although I have been known to when they are over-ripe.
Blackcurrants are not like rasps and strawbs which are fantastic straight from the plant. Mine usually end up in pies or jam but I have so many this year I might have to be a bit more creative.
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Blackcurrant jelly with port! It is great as a base to sauces, to add a fruity bite to gravy and tastes just great in sandwiches or with a hulk of pork pie.
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Its hard to imagine that something that tastes like that from the bush would taste so great if cooked a bit. But I'll take your word for it.
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Cooking blackcurrants :ohmy: :ohmy:
What a waste :ohmy:
I know it's hard to resist the temptation to pick too early, but you must wait until those big black pearls just drop into your hands. The right time is when their perfume is almost overpowering as you crawl on hands and knees to collect them. (If they don't come off the stalks all by themselves, you must wait: have a cigarette, or chew gum, or do something therapeutic, but WAIT).
When you finally pick your treasure, wash, stalk, drain well, then sprinkle a little caster sugar over them, mix, and leave in the fridge for at least 6 hours (there should still be a little crunchy sugar, glistening on that firm black flesh).
Serve in a bowl (Resist all temptation to start: they're not ready yet). Very carefully, pour cream over them (single cream, of course).
Find a comfortable armchair, preferably with a foot-stall so that the legs can be raised about 12 -15 inches.
Install yourself in said armchair, with bowl of treasure and a spoon (if your hands are trembling, have someone bring you the bowl once you are comfortably settled in chair).
Now the important part: take your first spoonful, not forgetting to coat them in cream, carry to your mouth and STOP. Do not eat ! First, close your eyes, then bite gently, letting the flavour explode on your tongue.
Incomparable. Luxury. Rich. Dark. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
But please, please, don't COOK them.
Got to get back out with my bowl now.
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How about making Creme de Cassis? A Kir (cold white wine and Cassis) as the sun goes down ..... bliss! 8)
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Well, yes, that too :D
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Cooking blackcurrants :ohmy: :ohmy:
What a waste :ohmy:
I know it's hard to resist the temptation to pick too early, but you must wait until those big black pearls just drop into your hands. The right time is when their perfume is almost overpowering as you crawl on hands and knees to collect them. (If they don't come off the stalks all by themselves, you must wait: have a cigarette, or chew gum, or do something therapeutic, but WAIT).
When you finally pick your treasure, wash, stalk, drain well, then sprinkle a little caster sugar over them, mix, and leave in the fridge for at least 6 hours (there should still be a little crunchy sugar, glistening on that firm black flesh).
Serve in a bowl (Resist all temptation to start: they're not ready yet). Very carefully, pour cream over them (single cream, of course).
Find a comfortable armchair, preferably with a foot-stall so that the legs can be raised about 12 -15 inches.
Install yourself in said armchair, with bowl of treasure and a spoon (if your hands are trembling, have someone bring you the bowl once you are comfortably settled in chair).
Now the important part: take your first spoonful, not forgetting to coat them in cream, carry to your mouth and STOP. Do not eat ! First, close your eyes, then bite gently, letting the flavour explode on your tongue.
Incomparable. Luxury. Rich. Dark. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
But please, please, don't COOK them.
Got to get back out with my bowl now.
Errrr....do you write steamy novels? :lol:
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Didn't you know that he is the secret son of Jilly Cooper? ??? I know the froo froo pink he wears make you think Barbara Cartland, but that is all a disguise .. ::)
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Alright ....alright ..Tode I get the message...............and I think I have come over all faint and uneccesary.
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Eating blackcurrants and cream in a pink frou-frou . . . . Now there's an idea :D
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Sounds like Tode has gone very French on us :lol: :lol: :lol: