Our "currant" state...

It is now red currant season in France and I have to admit that these little guys are not in my repertoire. These tiny tart berries are native to western Europe and grow in grape-like clusters on small bushes. Turns out the place we are renting has a couple bushes out back which, despite their modest size, gave us quite a harvest.  At first the kiddos would just snack on the berries while playing in the yard.  Then one evening Jean and Audrey quickly filled a couple mixing bowls with the these tiny guys - about 3 kilos worth.  Challenge accepted!

There were also a handful of what are called "albino currants", somewhat sweeter than their crimson cousins (and from a mom's perspective, much less stain power!)

I started with an easy introduction to these unfamiliar fruits.  I found a super quick recipe for a tarte aux groseille (red currant tart) - http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_tarte-aux-groseilles_17551.aspx. Couldn't be much simpler - place washed berries on a premade crust and cover with a custard like filling. Easy as pie, as we say back home.

Audrey seeming to question why I stopped cutting the tarte to take a picture of it...

Okay - these berries are now growing on me and I'm ready to up the ante.  Let's try some jam making!  No, I have never made jam before but I feel like the berries are calling me to do so.  It seems that red currants are naturally high in pectin so they are naturals in the whole jelly making business.  Jean and I spent an entire evening meticulously separating 2 kilos worth of berries from their stems. And so it begins...

cooking of berries (a handful of cherries and strawberries added since they were sitting around)

Processing the concoction through a hand grinder

A quick boil of the liquid and the addition of enough sugar to make a dietitian gasp - and voilà! We are in red currant heaven!! I couldn't help but feel a bit like my namesake from Little House on the Prairie knowing that we now have provisions to last us though a long winter.

Turns out I still have some 500g of currants left, even after our jam making extravaganza.  At this point I feel like currants and I are old buddies.  Red currant and orange muffins finish off our harvest as we end on my turf.

Currants have been tackled - now onto packing those suitcases.  Tomorrow we are heading to the other side of the Atlantic for our first (of many!) summer trips home.  Hope to see some of you all soon!!