Currant Affairs! Jam, juice and Gin!

What happens on an allotment is very weird. One day you’re positively willing the plants to produce a teeny weeny sign of a piece of food.

But then within the blink of an eye the tsunami of produce hits you, knocks you down and tramples rough shod all over your life.

It’s a challenge.

People ask how much time it takes to have an allotment. I always answer. That depends, how much time do you have?

Thing is. Allotment time is a bit like a tardis. There’s different types. There’s time planning and dream gardening. There’s time doing the gardening. Then there’s time dealing with the aftermath of the gardening.

The currant aftermath is the black currant one.

See what I did there?

And there’s a back story.

Last year I had sufficient currants to make 28 jars of jam. I had jars coming out of my ears.

But I cut corners. And it didn’t set.

Oh no!

Disaster.

This year I was determined. Black currants are my nemesis. At the start there were none, then there were the ones the birds ate….. Then they didn’t set….

So not only that, but this year I wanted to make the most of the black currants, after all twenty eight jars of jam is a lot even for me.

So this year I’ve been successful. I’ve made thirteen jars of jam, a box of fruit leather, three litres of blackcurrant cordial and

drum roll

A litre of blackcurrant gin!

I’m guessing you can find out how I made the leather and cordial here and the jam here.

So that leaves the gin!

So gin?

Making fruit flavored alcohol is the perfect occupation for lazy allotmenteers.

Step 1

Drink a bottle of gin.

Step 2

Take a second bottle of gin and pour half into the empty bottle. (This process may take time. It is recommended that you don’t drink the whole bottle and then attempt to follow this recipe. )

Step 3

Get some large relatively undamaged black currants and wash them.

Step 4

Put the black currants into the gin bottle until it is full.

Step 5 (optional)

Repeat Step 4 with second half bottle of gin.

Alternatively keep the remaining half bottle of gin, add tonic, ice lemon, drink.

Step 6

Put gin in cupboard to prove. This will take time. But like having an allotment

“How long do you have?”