Red Currant or Gooseberry Syrup
A historical recipe from The Italian Cook Book The Art of Eating Well, by Maria Gentile (1919).
A historical recipe
The Italian Cook Book The Art of Eating Well; Practical Recipes of the Italian Cuisine, Pastries, Sweets, Frozen Delicacies, and Syrups, by Maria Gentile (1919). Project Gutenberg eBook #24407.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: home canning or sealing in jars. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.
Italy
Known as an Italian recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
- Home canning. Old canning methods can let botulism through. Use current tested canning guidance.
Ingredients 4 ingredients
- one ounce of citric acid
- eight pounds of sugar mixed
- six pounds of liquid
- a tumblerful of ice water
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
Method
Chef Wood
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- Remove the stems from the bunches of gooseberry and place them in an earthen vase, to be kept in a cool place.
- When it has begun to ferment (which may happen after three or four days) sink the surface film and stir with a ladle twice a day, continuing this operation until it has stopped raising.
- Then put in a cheese cloth, letting the juice come out through pressing with the hands or in a machine.
- Pass the juice through a filter, two or three times if necessary, until you obtain a limpid liquid.
- Then put it on the fire and when it begins to boil pour in it granulated sugar and citric acid in the following proportions: Liquid, six pounds.
- Sugar, eight pounds.
- Citric acid, one ounce.
- That is to say for each three parts of the liquid, add four parts of sugar, and one ounce of citric acid for eight pounds of sugar mixed with six pounds of liquid.
- Stir continually with the ladle so that the sugar does not stick to the bottom, taste it to add some more citric acid if you judge it necessary, then let it cool and place in bottles to be sealed.
- When a beverage is to be prepared pour in a tumbler less than half an inch of syrup for a tumblerful of ice water.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
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Saucepan
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Wooden spoon
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Ladle