Red currants

[ExD]

I have loads and loads of red currants on my bushes this summer, and it seems a shame to leave them to rot (though the birds enjoy them). Can anyone think of ways of using them that don't mean using huge quantities of sugar?

 

[GrantGam]

Wine

Although there is plenty sugar in the wine making process; it seems to have a minimal impact on BGL. Red wine is one of the better drinks for diabetic BGL management.

Grant

 

[Brunneria]

I would pick them and freeze them, then bring them out in small handfuls to use in green smoothies, on yog (coyo) and chia puddings. They might make nice chia seed jam too - but I have never tried that.

Oh, and they would make a blinding icecream - freeze them, then blend the frozen berries (2 parts) with double cream (one part) and sweetener to taste.

 

[lovinglife]

Great roasted alongside a leg of lamb - keep them on the vine - after roasting keep some whole and push the rest through a sieve into your pan juices makes a lovely gravy - nice with cheese too- put a couple on the side

 

[lizf4619]

Brilliant for stuffing game or oily fish

 

[ChrisSamsDad]

They might make nice chia seed jam too - but I have never tried that.

I tried that Chia seed jam with a punnet of raspberries that were going spare - what a waste of raspberries, was nothing like jam and all seeds as far as I could tell. I just have smaller amounts of jam now when I want it and can get away with it.

Redcurrants would make nice flavoured vinegar, you just have to let it soak for a few weeks, or there's a lovely ketchup-style sauce called 'Pontack' you could make with redcurrants instead of elderberries - the recipe says to leave maturing for 7 years, but I've had it after 6 months and it's great.

You could make a fruit schnapps. I don't think it would be good without actual sugar, but you probably wouldn't drink much of it at a time. I usually add 250g sugar to a 750ml bottle of alcohol plus the fruit,

Or you could just make jam, but with Truvia or something.

 

[ExD]

Thanks folks, some appealing ideas there.
Sometimes the sugar is needed too as Stevia doesn't have the same qualities, although I might try just halving the sugar in recipes and adding stevia at the end. The ice cream sounds good, I did try it once using frozen rasps but I let it freeze too long and it wasn't pleasant. I have several jars of jelly left from other years (100% sugar, before dx) and found we just didn't use it