Early Summer’s Sweet-Tart Gift
Red currants and wild strawberries don’t ripen all at once. You gather a few here, a handful there. And when you’ve picked just enough to fill a salad plate—or a strainer or two—it’s tempting to eat them straight. But sometimes, the berries ask for a little alchemy.
This is a tiny-batch fruit spread made to honor that kind of harvest. No chia, no blender, no mashing required. Just a short simmer and a few chopped dates. Even the vanilla was a happy accident—poured with a heavy hand and not regretted.
The result is a rustic, sweet-tart preserve that thickens naturally as it cools. It’s deeply flavored, not too sweet, and easy enough that cleanup doesn’t usurp the pleasure of making it.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup red currants
- ¼ cup wild strawberries
- 2 Medjool dates, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (a generous splash works beautifully)
- Tiny pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions:
- Chop the dates finely so they’ll soften and melt into the fruit easily.
- Combine red currants, wild strawberries, chopped dates, water, vanilla, and salt (if using) in a small saucepan.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The currants will pop and release their juices; the strawberries soften but stay whole. I didn’t mash a thing—just gave it a gentle stir now and then.
- Taste as you go. If it’s sweet and flavorful before the 10-minute mark, feel free to stop early. The flavor is the guide.
- Let cool and thicken. Once off heat, let it sit uncovered for 5–10 minutes. It thickens into a spoonable, glistening fruit spread.
Notes:
- Makes about ⅓ cup—just enough for a few slices of toast or to dollop onto a grain bowl or porridge.
- Stores in the fridge for 5–6 days (if it lasts that long).
- This recipe honors the kind of harvest you pick with intention—a little at a time, as the landscape offers it.
Want more recipes? Here’s a mini collection.
