Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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gil
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Uses for blackcurrant leavesNoticed rhyddid's post about pickled gherkins, and use of blackcurrant leaves as an ingredient. Thinking about erikht's article on making drams as well.
What can blackcurrant leaves be used for / in ?
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moongoddess
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You can make a drink from them (I don't know what a liter is though):
Louhisaari Black Currant Drink
This refreshing drink is made with black currant leaves, preferrably the young leaves of early summer. It's perfect for warm summer nights!
5 liters water
1 liter black currant leaves
1 lemon
400 g sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh yeast
1. Rinse leaves; wash the lemon and slice it.
2. Place leaves and lemon slices in a pot or a bucket that is big enough to hold all ingredients.
3. Bring water to boil and pour it on top of the leaves and lemon slices, add sugar.
4. Allow the mixture to cool to 38 C; dissolve a pea sized dollop of fresh yeast in a drop of water and add it to the mixture, stir.
5. Let the mixture ferment for 24 hours.
6. Strain and pour into bottles, and store the bottles in a cool place.
7. Ready to drink in 7 days.
or you could dry them and use them in herbal teas during the winter. They are excellent for sore throats and 'fluey symptoms (high in vit c and anti-inflammatory). 2 parts blackcurrant to 1 part mint would ward off any infection 
You can make them into sorbet:
2 large handfuls of young blackcurrant leaves
225g (8ozs) sugar
600ml (1 pint ) cold water
Juice of 3 lemons
1 egg white (optional)
Crush the blackcurrant leaves tightly in your hand, put into a stainless steel saucepan with the cold water and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Add the juice of 3 freshly squeezed lemons*.
Strain and freeze for 20-25 minutes in an ice-cream maker or sorbetiere. Serve in chilled glasses or chilled white china bowls or on pretty plates lined with fresh blackcurrant leaves.
Note: If you do not have a sorbetiere, simply freeze the sorbet in a dish in the freezer, when it is semi-frozen, whisk until smooth and return to the freezer again. Whisk again when almost frozen and fold in one stiffly beaten egg white. Keep in the freezer until needed.
If you have access to a food processor. Freeze the sorbet completely in a tray, then break up and whizz for a few seconds in the processor, add 1 slightly beaten egg white, whizz and freeze again. Serve.
Or 'lemonade'
Blackcurrant Leaf Lemonade
Ingredients as above plus
1¼-1½ pints (750-900ml) still or sparkling water
ice cubes
Proceed to * in Blackcurrant Leaf Sorbet recipe, add 1¼ pints (750ml) still or sparkling water, taste and add more water if necessary. Serve chilled with lots of ice
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cab
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Bit late now, but get them while they're young and soft and they're well worth putting in a spring salad.
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mrutty
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Boiling water over cruched leaves makes a nice tea.
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