TARRAGON & THYME

Makes about 5lb in weight Ingredients 2lb black or redcurrants or a mixture, strings removed and washed 3lb sugar Method If time to do so prick each currant and place in a bowl with the sugar. Cover and leave overnight. Transfer the fruit and sugar to a saucepan, bring slowly to the boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave for about 30 minutes until a skin begins to form. Stir gently to distribute the fruit then pot and cover in the usual way.

Ingredients 4lb redcurrants stalks removed Grated rind and juice of 6 oranges 1 cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon of Allspice berries 1 teaspoon of Cloves 1 1/2lb sugar 4oz of hazlenuts roughly chopped (optional) Method Place the currants in a large pan and add the orange rind and juice. Tie the cinnamon allspice and cloves in a muslin bag and add to the pan. Heat gently and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the currants are soft. Remove the muslin bag squeezing the juice back into the pan. Add the sugar and the nuts and heat gently stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil then boil rapidly until setting point is reached. Remove scum, cool slightly, stir then pour into prepared jobs. Cover and label. Makes about 7lb.

Ingredients 4lb Redcurrants 2 pints of water 1 teaspoon of Allspice berries 1/2 teaspoon of cloves 2 large mace blades 1 cinnamon stick Approx 1 1/4 lb sugar Cooking time about an hour Method Rinse the redcurrants and place in a large pan. Pour over the water and the allspice, cloves mace and cinnamon. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently for about 40 minutes or until very softcrushing the reducrrants occasionally. Strain through a jelly bag and leave to drip for at least two hours or overnight. Measure the juice and pour into a large pan and bring to the boil. Add 1lb of sugar for every 1 pint of juice. Heat gently stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil then boil rapidly until setting point is reached. Remove the scum immediately and pour into prepared jars. Cover and label. Makes about 2lb

Anne Herewith as requested. Hope you are both keeping well and enjoying life in the country. Hope this helps. Take care Tricia xx This recipe is taken from Hilaire Walden's Sensational Preserves book it sounds good on paper - in fact I might have a go as I use a lot of redcurrant jelly normally for flavouring gravy and I have a lot in the freezer. "This easy no cook recipe is my favourite way of making redcurrant jelly, as it preserves the clear fresh taste of the fruit. It has a lighter set than other redcurrant jellies; just how runny it is will depend on the amount of pectin and acid in the currants. If you would like a firmer set boil the juice and the dissolved sugar until setting point is reached. Unfortunately this jelly does not keep as long as some jellies so its one of the preserves I use first rather than hang on to for months. If you don't have somewhere nice and cool to keep it the warmest part of the refrigerator such as the salad drawer is probably the b...