A Receipe To Make Curran Wine
From the treasured pages of Receipt for making gooseberry and currant wine
Unknown Author
A Receipe To Make Curran Wine
"Take 24 pound of Good Ripe Red Currans Bruise them in your hands & strain them, when they are all broke add to the juice 4. scols pints of spring water, then put in 8 pounds of powdered sugar, And have of the same Liquor by you to fill up the barrell alwise as it works over, take away the thick scum every Morning for 10 or 12 days & fill up the barrell which must hold but 8 pints, then stop the Barrell & sett it in a Close place for a quarter of a year, then draw it of in bottells & stop them Close for your use."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in informal, almost conversational language, aimed at readers experienced in kitchen work. Spellings like 'currans' for currants, 'pint' for a measure (about 568 ml Imperial), and instructions such as 'fill up the barrell alwise as it works over' are typical of the period, reflecting phonetic spelling and an oral tradition. There is little in the way of exact temperatures or timings—fermentation and maturation were judged by sight and tradition, with reliance on daily observation and practical know-how.
Title
Receipt for making gooseberry and currant wine (1690)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1690
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step back into the lavish banqueting halls of the late 17th century and savor a delightful array of recipes and kitchen secrets from a time when culinary artistry knew no bounds.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This currant wine recipe hails from around 1690, a time when home fermentation and winemaking were common in British households due to limited access to imported wines. Currants, abundant and full of character, were often turned into fruit wines as a way of preserving the harvest and enjoying a little cheer throughout the year. The recipe was transcribed from a manuscript labeled 'X.d.745', dating to about the late 17th century, giving us a window into the domestic kitchens of Early Modern England, where seasonal fruits became delightful drinks for family and guests alike.
The original cook would have used large earthenware or wooden tubs to bruise and macerate the currants, basic presses or muslin for straining the juice, and wooden barrels or small kegs (about 4 liters, or 8 pints) for fermentation. Scumming was likely done with ladles or spoons. Bottling involved re-used glass bottles stoppered with cork or cloth. In a modern kitchen, home wine-makers can use plastic or glass fermenters, mesh strainers, and food-safe utensils, with demijohns and sanitized bottles for storage.
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
0 mins
Servings
20
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 24 lbs ripe red currants (substitute: a mix of red and black currants if necessary)
- 2.4 quarts spring water (filtered water as alternative)
- 8 lbs granulated sugar
Instructions
- To make your own currant wine the historical way, start with about 24 lbs of ripe red currants.
- Crush the berries by hand (a potato masher or hands will do!), then strain to get as much juice as possible.
- To this juice, add approximately 2.4 quarts (about 2 1/2 quarts) of spring water, and then dissolve in 8 lbs of granulated sugar.
- Pour the mixture into a sanitized fermentation vessel that can hold about 1 gallon—modern food-grade buckets or demijohns work well.
- Reserve some extra juice and water mixed together to ‘top up’ the vessel as fermentation froths over the next several days.
- Each morning for 10–12 days, skim off the foamy scum that rises to the top, topping up so the vessel stays full.
- Once the initial fermentation slows, tightly seal the vessel and let it mature for about 3 months in a cool, dark place.
- After this, bottle the wine securely, and store for your enjoyment.
Estimated Calories
150 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You’ll spend about an hour preparing the currants and mixing the ingredients. There’s no actual cooking, but you’ll need to skim the fermenting wine for about 10 days. Most of the time is waiting while the wine ferments and matures, but your hands-on work is mostly at the beginning. Each serving is about 150 calories, and the recipe makes around 20 servings.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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