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Home-made Beverages.
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Currant Vinegar.
See recipe for Black Currant Vinegar. Either
white or red currants or equal quantities of each
may be used.
Currant Water.
Bruise a gill of raspberries and a pint of
stripped red currants and put them into a
preserving pan with a quart of cold water and
half a pound of sugar. Boil for ten minutes
skimming thoroughly, then strain through a
jelly bag, add a little more sugar if necessary,
and serve when cold.
Currant Whisky.
Strip and bruise 2 lb. of white currants, and
puttheminto a jar with oneand a half poundsof
crushed sugar candy, half oz. bruised cinnamon,
J oz. cloves,half oz. blanched and pounded bitter
almonds and 2 quarts of good whisky. Infuse
for a month, keeping the jar tightly covered,
and shaking it daily, then filter into bottles and
cork and seal them securely.
Currant Wine, Red or White.
Strip and bruise 2 gallons of ripe currants,
and put them into a tub with 6 lb. of crushed
cane sugar, and 3 gallons of water. Cover with
a blanket and leave for three days, stirring
from time to time. Strain into a cask,reserving
a little of the liquid to fill up with as the fermen
tation subsides, and when this has quite finished
add a pint of sherry and brandy mixed for every
gallon of wine. Bung tightly, and bottle in
six months time.
Damson Cordial.
Half fill some wide-mouthed glass bottles
with ripe damsons, allow 4 oz. crushed sugar
candy, 4 cloves, a small vanilla bean, 2 inches
of lemon peel, and a small piece of cinnamon,
and bruised ginger to every pound of fruit, fill
up the bottles with good brandy, cork tightly
and infuse for 6 months,then strain and rebottle.
Damson Gin.
Prick a quart of sound ripe damsons with a
darning needle and infuse them for 3 months
in a tightly covered jar with 2 quarts of good
unsweetened gin, 24 damson kernels and 2 lb.