Saftevand de baies du nord — blackcurrant cordial
A syrup of blackcurrants and redcurrants from the garden, rich and tangy, bottled then diluted with cold water. The non-alcoholic drink of Danish afternoons and visits.
A syrup of blackcurrants and redcurrants from the garden, rich and tangy, bottled then diluted with cold water. The non-alcoholic drink of Danish afternoons and visits.
At the back of my Copenhagen garden grow blackcurrant bushes, heavy with black clusters at the end of summer. My wife and children make a syrup that we keep in bottles in the cellar for the pale months. You pour a finger into a glass, dilute it with clear water, and there you have something to refresh a visitor without recourse to wine. Nature offers; one only needs to know how to preserve what she gives.
- •Blackcurrants and redcurrants from the garden — a large measure (fruit)
- •Sugar — generous parts (preservation and sweetness)
- •Spring water — to dilute when serving (dilution)
Saftevand de baies du nord — blackcurrant cordial
A syrup of blackcurrants and redcurrants from the garden, rich and tangy, bottled then diluted with cold water. The non-alcoholic drink of Danish afternoons and visits.
Why this dish? Danish gardens were full of currant and blackcurrant bushes. Syrups were made from them and preserved for the year, diluted with water — a fresh, vitamin-rich drink offered to visitors of the Ørsted household, and enjoyed by the children.
At the back of my Copenhagen garden grow blackcurrant bushes, heavy with black clusters at the end of summer. My wife and children make a syrup that we keep in bottles in the cellar for the pale months. You pour a finger into a glass, dilute it with clear water, and there you have something to refresh a visitor without recourse to wine. Nature offers; one only needs to know how to preserve what she gives.
Ingredients (period version)
- Blackcurrants and redcurrants from the garden — a large measure (fruit)
- Sugar — generous parts (preservation and sweetness)
- Spring water — to dilute when serving (dilution)
Ingredients
- Blackcurrants (fresh or frozen) — 500 g (fruit)
- Redcurrants — 200 g (tangy fruit)
- Sugar — 400 g (preservation and sweetness)
- Water — 300 ml for syrup + fresh water for serving (cooking and dilution)
Method
- Cook the blackcurrants and redcurrants with water until they burst (10 min).
- Strain through a muslin to collect the juice.
- Return the juice to the heat with the sugar, simmer until slightly thickened.
- Pour hot into clean bottles and seal; store in a cool place.
- When serving, pour a little syrup into a glass and top up with cold water.
How it was made : Before reliable drinking water and refrigeration, sweetened fruit syrups (saft) were a common way to preserve the summer harvest and provide a healthy drink year-round. Sugar, more affordable in the 19th century, democratized these preserves.
The contemporary twist : Served as a non-alcoholic spritz with sparkling water, ice and a mint leaf — a Nordic "solbær spritz".
Hans Christian Ørsted · Charactorium