Blackcurrent jam

I have made my first visit to the garden of my good friends in Horsens, while they were away on Summer vacation, to pick both black currant as well as white current, which I afterwards have turned into jam in form of this black currant jam and rhubarb & white currant jam.

I used my jam book to locate a this recipe on black currant jam. As other suggestions on black currant you can also have a look at these suggestions (classic blackcurrant jam with twist of balcamico, blackcurrant jam with liquorice lemon and blackcurrant jam).

After the first filling of the jam into the jam glasses; I noticed that the jam did not gel. I think it was, because I had not boiled enough of the water in connection with the first boiling of black currant and water, where I boiled these two ingredients under lid.

Therefore I decided to empty all the jam glasses into the cooking pot and boil the jam again to remove more water from the jam to increase the dry matter, so the natural pectin of the black currant to gel the jam. And this project worked out very well for me, as after the second boiling them black currant jam did gelled in the jam glasses.

Blackcurrant jam: - 6 glasses

• 800 g black currant
• 675 ml water
• 1.12 kg sugar

1. Prepare the blackcurrants by washing the blackcurrant, removing the berries from the strings, removing leaves and removing the dead flower end.
2. Place the blackcurrants in a large cooking pan and pour in the water. Bring the fruit to the boil, and let fruit simmer gently, until the fruit is tender, approx 25-30 minutes. REMEMBER to boil the fruit without the lid on the cooking pot.
3. Prepare the jam glasses either by heating up in the oven or adding boiling water to them.
4. Add the sugar into the fruit mass and stir until it is dissolved.
5. Bring the jam to a rolling boil and boil hard until the setting point is reached. Stir the jam frequently.
6. Test of set after 5 minutes using the flake test.
7. When the setting point is reached, remove the pan from the heat and leave it to stand for 5 minutes. As the jam settles, push any scums from the surface of the pan to the side and remove it with a metal spoon. The purpose for the waiting step is well to build viscosity in jam, so the fruit pieces will be trapped inside the jam inside of be going to the top of jam.
8. Gently stir the jam after the resting time and pour it into the prepared glasses, fill the glasses up to the brim. Remove any scum for the surface of the jam using a tea spoon. Close the glass with a lid.
9. Leave the glass upright and disturbed to cool and set.
10. Store at ambient temperature.

Knit shawl - third progress

My knitting project in form of this knit shawl is making fast progress, so my shawl will be finished quiet soon, so it ready for, when the cold weather once again will arrive here in Denmark.

I have made progressed away from adding more knit masks into reducing the amount of masks. The reduction is done at every 4 knit row, while the addition of knot masks was done at every 2 knit row. 

July - what's up

July - what's up

July is the second month of Summer here in Denmark, and a Danish Summer can be anything from rain over wind to sunshine. So fare it has been an average Summer.

Here in July various berries plays a big role, so you can either buy local produced berries in the supermarket, at small booth along the roads or perhaps just walk into your own or neighborough's  garden to pick fresh berries.

If you have plenty of strawberries you can make this strawberry jam, where apple is used to gel the jam. You could make this strawberry jam with elder flowers.

Another great tasting jam is this gooseberry jam

Besides from jams you can also make jellies like red & black currant jelly, which you can consider as the very first preparation for Christmas 2019 !!!!

Raspberries can either be used for raspberry vinegar or raspberry jam.

I hope you will look by my kitchen from time to time here in July to see, what kind of activities are taking place in my kitchen or in the garden :-)

So fare I have been the following stuff in my little kitchen here in July:

• blackcurrent jam

Knit shawl - second progress

The knitting  of this knit shawl is really moving fast forward, so I will for sure have a nice knitted shawl, when the colder season of both Autumn and Winter arrives here in Denmark.

It is the first for me, that I am actually knitting with my kitchen weight next to me, as I have weigh the yarn to check, when I have 10 g of the colour left, as I at this stage have to introduce the next colour.

And I am still in the process for adding more and more mask to the shawl.

Knit shawl - first progress

The knitting process of the knit shawl in seven different colour is moving forward. It always helps to have a weeks vacation and that the pattern is very simple. I only have to remember to increase the amount of knit masks on very second row. On top of this I also have to weigh the amount of yarn, as you have to start using two colours, when there is 10 g left of the first colour. Besides from these two things, it is a very simple knit pattern.

Lønnestræde elderflower cordial with less bitterness

It is this time again of the year, where you in Denmark can make your own elder flower cordial. Many Danes are actually making their own elder flower cordial, some you can quiet frequently during this time experience, that your local supermarket runs out of citric acid !!!

I have fine tunes this recipe on elder flower cordial to get less bitterness from the citrus fruits into the final cordial. So this year I have peel out the skin of both the lemon & lime. When I cut of all of the white citrus layer and thrown all the white stuff away. And final I have sliced the remaining part of the citrus fruits. So I am still using the citrus peel as well as the inside of the citrus fruits for flavour and taste. The majority of the bitterness is sitting in the white part of the citrus skin.

Elder Flower Cordial a la Lønnestræde with less bitterness:

• 40 elder flowers
• 2 lemons - organic - peeled, white skin removed and fruit part sliced
• 4 limes - organic - peeled, white skin removed and fruit part sliced
• 40 g citric acid
• 1.5  kg cane sugar
• 2 l water - boiling

1. Shake the elder flowers very, very well, so they are free from various insects. DO NOT use water for this cleaning step, as this will reduce the wonderful taste of elder flower significantly as you remove the "yellow" flavour dust/pollen.
2. Use a scissors to cut the flowers from the flower stem, as these apparently will increase the bitterness level in the final cordial.
3. Place the elder flower into a big bowl, which you can close with a lid at the end.
4. Peel the citrus fruits. And the peel into the bowl.
5. Cot of the white part of the skin layer (gives bitterness) and cut the remaining part of the citrus fruit into thin slices. Add into the bowl.
6. Add the cane sugar on top
7. Add the citric acid as well.
8. Add the boiling water into the bowl.
9. Stir the sugar into solution, so it does not form a sediment on the bottom, which is difficult to dissolved later, when the cordial is cold.
10. Cover the bowl with the lid.
11. Let the content cool down to room temperature, before you place the bowl in the refrigerator.
12. Stir or shake the bowl daily during the infusion time.
13. Let the elder flower cordial infuse for 4 days in the refrigerator.
14. Sieve the cordial to remove all the different ingredients.
15. Prepare the glass bottles by by filling them with boiling water. I do not use any preservatives, so this is important to increase shelf-life of your cordial.
16. You can also use plastic bottles, if you want to freeze the cordial as another way of preserving it. Remember NOT to fill these bottles completely, as liquid will increase in volume, when turning into ice.
17. Enjoy the wonderful Summer time using this cordial as "plain" cordial mixing with water (with or without gas), mixing with wine or sparkling wine. Or mix it gin or vodka and lots of ice.

Shopping in Alsace

Home again after another great vacation in Alsace with a car full of shopping of food, tea and wine. A Peugeot 208 can contain minimum 60 bottles of wine AND a cooling box for transport of yogurt & wine in the trunk  !!! The rest of the luggage can be on the back seat of the car :-) And yes, also this year I had brought some flowers for my terrace.

The wine shelf in a French supermarket is divided into the various wine regions of France. And a supermarket in Alsace will on top divide the Alsace part of the wine shelves into the individual wine grapes (riesling, pinot blanc, pinot gris, muscat etc).



Besides from filling up the trunk with bottles of Alsace brought directly at various wine makers in Alsace I was buying different types of black tea at three different tea shops. I found tea from Dammann as loose tea leaves (Jardin Blue, Gout Russe Douchka & Etoile du Desert). I also located the tea shop of Le Théier Collection, which I have been buying before (Grande Catherine, Rose de Perse (my favourite rose flavoured tea) & Pomme de Pré) incl. a stainless drinking container, which can keep water cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours (and it works perfect). And finally I found a new French tea brand (well at least for me) in form of Compagnie Coloniale, where I will try out Jardin Gourmand & Cerise.

I was filling up my cooling box with some of my favourite French cheese such as Comte cheese, small goat cheese appetizer and a fresh cheese with a tomato filling (I will soon host the last of my birthday celebration with a lunch "in the green" = outdoor lunch, if the weather plays along my plans !!!), cream cheese with a nut mixture of walnuts and almonds. Also fruit yogurt made it´s way back to my refrigerator.

This small selection of Bonne Mamam jam was also brought by me in form jam made from Reine Claude plums, peach jam, apricot jam and rhubarb jam. If you want to make your own home-made versions of these jam, when have a look here: rhubarb jam with vanilla, apricot jam with lavender & plum jam with star anise & vanilla. I was also filling up my stock of caramel sauce and mustard (classic Maille mustard & mustard with sauvignon grapes). Also Speculoos cookies (home-made speculoos) and paste ended up in my shopping backet.   

One of the dishes of Alsace is tarte flambee, so as usual I brought some dough plates for tarte flambee. Two box of fast risotto also ended up in my shopping basket, one with cheese flavour and the other with mushrooms. A suggestion for home-made risotto with portobello mushrooms. 

Finally two Patesserie magazines together with a new doormate with poppy decoration made their way back with me to Vejle :-)