Redcurrant magic

Weather: horrible! A cool wet and windy weekend.

The week's harvest: 1 Black Russian tomato (1lb 2oz!) Courgettes (1lb) Runner Beans (9oz) French Beans (8oz) Tomato Costuluto Fiorentino (rather misshapen (2lbs) ) Small white cucumbers (5) Spinach (80z) Peas - a handful of pods, basil, tarragon, mint, parsley, mint, sorrel and chives as needed.....and Redcurrants 1lb 12oz

And the redcurrants are the story of this post. There are still a few on the bush - but so far this year I have picked more than two pounds. And the magic bit? I have thoroughly abused and neglected this bush. I was told it would grow on a north facing wall - but not only is it tucked away on one of those, it struggles for position with an overgrowing vine, virginia creeper, and a variety of shrubs that leave it with virtually no light at all and yet it rewards me with, what others have described as, jewel-like berries. They really zing out at you.


I have made a couple of jars of redcurrant jelly already
this year - one of which will come out at Christmas. This latest batch of reducurrant juice (seen in the process of straining the currants out) is going in the freezer to await the arrival of this year's chili crop when I will make some jars of chili and redcurrant jelly.

I have two varieties in the greenhouse - Prairie Fire which has made a nice compact bush and is flowering at the moment. And Twilight which is taller - some might say leggy - but also seems to be doing well.

A second Prairie Fire plant is in a pot and I had put it outside but it seems chili plants are yet another delicacy for the slug population....did I mention the slugs? Something must be done!