Topic: Nettle and blackcurrant cordial

[Mrs Ava]

A strange partnership, but apparently a delicious one.  However, I cannot find a recipe for it.  This isn't for me, but my allotmenteering neighbour.  Does anyone have a recipe for it?

[barkingdog]

Hi,

Not really a recipe but I found this on Thorncroft's website. I wondered if you could adapt an elderflower cordial recipe??

Nettle Ale was another favourite of old England. Old brews however were made by boiling up a dozen or more common herbs – weeds, really – for several hours, during in which any freshness of flavour was boiled away. Thorncroft nettle is made from just two herbs, nettle and blackcurrant leaf, which are not cooked but just warmed to 50 degrees C to extract their aroma without changing it or losing the fresh quality.[/b]

barkingdog

[Mrs Ava]

oooo thanks barkindog.  I shall pass this on.  She is the kind of lady who likes to experiment, so I reakon she will play around with the two and see what she comes up with.

Ta!  ;D

[trojanrabbit]

I had a thought about this - if by Old England they mean medeavil, then the nettles may well have imparted some similar aromas to those now obtained from hops. Apparently hops did not find widespread use use in English brewing until about the 16th century. For more on this I just found  that http://www.hops.co.uk/sectionone/KentHistory.htm gives quite a nice potted history, and all sorts of stuff about hops - eg: they are related to nettles and hemp.