Blackcurrants

Of all the little sparkly jewels that appear in the height of summer (their season being from June to August), blackcurrants are the richest, with a strong flavour and sharpness that can stand up to sugar.

If you like their gutsy, in-your-face flavour, there’s a French company, St Dalfour, that makes a range of jams without sugar, using only concentrated fruit juices – its blackcurrant jam, packed with fruit, is the best I’ve ever tasted. Good bread, creamy butter and superlative jam makes, for my money, one of the simplest yet most luxurious snacks ever invented.

Blackcurrants make an excellent purée – for six people just take 8 oz (225 g) of currants and 3 oz (75 g) of caster sugar. First remove the stalks from the currants, then sprinkle them with the sugar in a bowl. Leave to stand for 30 minutes, then you can either sieve them directly back into the bowl or, to make the sieving easier, process them first, then sieve into the bowl. Taste to check that you have added enough sugar, then pour into a jug and chill until you’re ready to serve.