Currantcatsup Recipes

COUSCOUS WITH CARROTS AND CURRANTS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon and the lemon zest strips and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, currants, carrots and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the cilantro and mint.

FRESH ORGANIC CATSUP

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, apple juice, and cayenne pepper in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Place the bay leaf, cloves, celery seed and peppercorns into a spice bag or wrap in cheesecloth. Add to the pot and continue to boil, stirring frequently until the mixture has reduced by half.
• Remove the spice bag and stir in the lemon juice. Continue to boil for 10 more minutes, then remove from the heat. Pour into a container with a lid and refrigerate until using. Use or freeze within 1 week.

CURRANT CATSUP

Steps:

• The currants should be washed and picked over. Leave on the stems, but remove any leaves.
• Boil them with the vinegar until all are 'popped'.
• Strain well; discard seeds and stems. You should get about 5 cups of juice.
• Put the juice in a pot and add the spices mixed to a paste with a little of the currant juice.
• Bring to a boil and add the sugar.
• Boil hard for about 10 minutes.
• Start testing for "gel".
• There are several ways to do this, but the easiest is to put a drop on a frozen surface (like an ice cube) and see if it will wrinkle when pushed with your finger. Alternately, keep dipping you spoon in the mixture as it boils. Once it starts running off in two streams, keep careful watch: when it runs off in multiple streams, or in a sheet, it is done.
• When this is achieved, ladle into sterlized jars and seal with sterilized lids.
• The original recipe did not call for this, but I pop them back in the boiling water bath for 5 minutes just for safety sake.