Bachelor Jam a.k.a. "It"

The annual production of "It". Summer in a bottle, to eat moderately after 3 weeks, to sip as a cordial in winter, to mix in cocktails, or to drizzle over vanilla ice cream, when summer is a funny memory.

You need: a quantity of summer berries,such as red and black currants, English gooseberries, cherries. And half that weight of sugar (or less, if you do not want it to be very sweet). And enough brandy or vodka to cover all the fruit.

I had about 3 lbs of red and black currants, raspberries (a little soft, for this) and English gooseberries. No cherries.


All the fruit is from Wilklow Orchards, at the Borough Hall Farmers' Market, also suppliers of my red currant jam fruit last week.

Rinsed. Packed lightly into big, clean jars.

Sugar layered inbetween fruit.

Vodka to cover.

Tap out air bubbles.

I did not seal the jars, just closed them lightly, because experience reminded me that some fermentation might occur, and I don't want no explosions. They must sit a minimum of three weeks before we can taste the fruit for dessert and longer if we want to decant the liquor and strain as a liqueur.

Summer, captured.

I will report on It's progress in some weeks.

And for another idea, look at Juneberries in Calvados (we call it "That")