Currant Sorbets with fab local honey from Elmers End

First Blackcurrant bush turned ripe ahead of the others so time to get the ice-cream maker out and turn to sorbets.

This one is easy, although I used twice the volume of water as the recipe due to wanting more of the juice extracted from the fruits... I love blackcurrants that much I don't want to waste any.

I also added a little of our fab local honey from from Elmers End as we were down at Kent House Road for Bromley bee-keepers and their monthly open day. So good to see so many hives buzzing with activity.


300ml water (600ml in my case)
500g ripe currants
200g granulated sugar
several desert spoons of honey to taste

Make a sugar syrup with half the water in a heavy saucepan, boil gently for 5 minutes. Leave to cool then add honey to taste.

Mash the fruit without stalks until the juice and pips will pass through a colander.

Sieve the juice, this should remove most if not all the pips.

Return the skins and pips to a bowl, add the remaining water to the skins, mix and repeat the process. I find it easier to remove the skins in the colander as they clog-up a sieve.

Chill all the juice and syrup, mix and ensure the ice-cream maker bowl is well frozen before making the sorbet or place the mixed juice and sorbet in a tub within the freezer until mushy, then fork well.

It can work with any currants, even the packets of frozen mixed currants from the supermarkets.

picking peas, developer needed for the community enterprise next phase beyond the pioneer

Peas are so good. May not be weed free but considering there is only me it is not so bad, the 2.5acres are looking good and, on the whole, pretty clean.

Just need to get dirty and work through the carrot and onion bed. All this from one person, part time, voluntary, no expenses covered and a cheap chinese rotovator. I must be keen.

May not look much but it is a fab basis for the future CSA, a box scheme and maybe some form of retail, market stall perhaps.

Need to find one other person to aid the progress of the whole thing, ideally someone who knows a little about creating groups. I guess it would suit someone with a pioneering spirit.

Email or call me if you may be interested or know of someone. Laurence@joininghandskent.co.uk

 Beds of linseed in flower

 

Soya beans trial. Aim to have acres of these and other beans.