You Naysayers, Disbelievers and Prophets of Doom Behold...

[Jay-ell]

Some Laughed, Some Scoffed, Some said it would never worked when I started hanging decorations around the plot to confuse the birds




But I actually got to harvest the red currants today




Unlike last year when all the strings were stripped (OK, there weren’t many strings last year as the plants are new) this year the only berries missing were right down near the bottom. The mass of berries further up, although visible, were near where these decoys and they were untouched.

Not a big harvest at a little shy of a pound but that's because of the production (cordon trained, structure being formed) rather than lossed to birds.

Well Chuffed.

So what do you do with red currants?

[veggiechicken]

So what do you do with red currants?

Feed them to the birds?

[Jay-ell]

Don't think they'd fall for that one again - last time I gave them a bunch of little red round things they nearly broke their beaks

Anyway - I have a Rumtopf. Except I'll probably use brandy.

[Nicos]

Well done!
It clearly worked...I'm impressed

What to I do with mine?
Put them in the freezer and wonder what to make with them!

They generally end up in a mixed berry jam as I clearly have no imagination

[Bren In Pots]

So what do you do with red currants?

A good harvest Jay, could make scones, crumble or jam.

[Guest]

Mine go in summer puds. Will have to keep those decs to one side now

[burnie]

Red Currant jelly with your dinner instead of Cranberry, delicious(well my dads was )

[Jay-ell]

I think the summer pudding seems to be winning out (along with the Rumtopf ) so they've been popped into the freezer till I get more black currants, raspberries, etc for the pudding - and more fruit and brandy for the rumtopf (at the end the brandy will be drunk and the fruit will go into ice-cream)

[Snadger]

Sorry to be a Naysayer, Disbeliever and Prophet of Doom but...................As you didn't do a control, who's to say you wouldn't have got a crop anyway? Also, these are second year plants so you would expect them to crop better...............and double also, mine have cropped ok and been left by the birds,without the Christmas decorations.

Just saying!

[Snadger]

The best crop i ever had was when I allowed four foot high nettles to grow through them, the birds don't like nettles. Bit of a pain to pick them myself though.(literally)

[Jay-ell]

Sorry to be a Naysayer, Disbeliever and Prophet of Doom but...................

Ah, you said similar things about blue netting - but what colour did you go for

Soon you'll have the Scrapheap festooned with baubles.

[Snadger]

Ah, you said similar things about blue netting - but what colour did you go for

Soon you'll have the Scrapheap festooned with baubles.

In the shape of terracoota roof tiles.................

I agreed with your potty theory about the blue netting but need to do a control, without netting and with different colours. Chicken mesh is pretty good also.!

[veggiechicken]

The best crop i ever had was when I allowed four foot high nettles to grow through them, the birds don't like nettles. Bit of a pain to pick them myself though.(literally)

Thanks for reminding me! I have some red currant bushes somewhere May go on safari later - if it cools down

[chrisdb]

I normally mix them with other fruit to make jams that then go into cakes etc. They're abit sharp to use on their own.

I've also make a red currant/black currant wine this year. 30 bottles, all of which are also useable as rocket fuel. Best taken with lemonade as a refreshing summer drink.

[Jay-ell]

Store the wine somewhere not too hot for a year and see how it is after that. I made some tomato wine like that once and after forgetting it in the garage it melllow


A bit