Mrs

[Abbey Road Girl]

I haven't tried this but thought that adding brandy and sherry after fermentation might make it fool-proof. I hope that currants haven't gone over yet!

 

Either white or red currants may be used, or both. Allow two gallons of water and 3 lb of sugar for every gallon of bruised currants.

 

Gather the currants on a dry day, when fully ripe. Pick them from the stalks, weigh them, put them in a tub and crush them with a large wooden spoon. Add sugar and water in proportion to the weight of the fruit; mix thoroughly and cover with a blanket. Stand in a cool place for 3 or 4 days to ferment, stirring once a day.

 

Strain the liquid into a cask, using a muslin bag or fine sieve. When fermentation has ceased, add 1/2 a pint of brandy and sherry and bung tightly. Let the brew stand for 6 months before bottling.

 

From The Beatrix Potter Country Cookery Book by Margaret Lane (1981).

[Mrs Frugal]

Oooh excellent! Thank you!! Our redcurrants need netting this weekend so will be ready for picking soon and I've got lots of redcurrant jelly left from last year and I've got an empty demijohn .