The 1901 Cookbook Archive
No. 3441 — Blackcurrant-Leaf Water, Another Method
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 3441 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Fill a four-vedro barrel loosely with young blackcurrant leaves, without shaking or compressing them.
Add the pith-free, seedless pulp of 10 lemons, 9 pounds sifted sugar and enough water to fill the barrel. Shake thoroughly.
Leave in a warm room for one day, shaking frequently. Add 1 teacup of the best yeast and, about three hours after fermentation starts, transfer the barrel to ice for twelve days.
Strain through clean linen, bottle, cork tightly and seal with resin. The historic instructions keep the bottles on their sides in an iron chest on ice during hot weather.
Historical editorial note: Uncontrolled fermentation in sealed glass carries a serious bottle-rupture hazard; the period recipe is not a validated contemporary beverage procedure.
Original source: Read Russian recipe No. 3441. Historical quantities and terminology are retained. See the measurements guide. Period preparation and storage methods are not modern safety guidance.