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Barberries Preserved in Bunches
Barberries Preserved in Bunches is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic preserve of barberries boiled in sugar syrup and potted in the syrup. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Barberries Preserved in Bunches.
prep time
10 minutes
cook time
10 minutes
Total Time:
20 minutes
Serves:
8
Rating: 
Tags : British Recipes
This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Barberries Preserved in Bunches that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume,
The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
The barberry (
Berberis spp is a genus of about 450–500 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1-5 m tall with thorny shoots, native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. Typically they bear bunches of pale yellow drooping flowers in May, which are succeeded by oblong scarlet berries, ripening in September. Several are popular garden shrubs, grown for their ornamental leaves, yellow flowers, and red or blue-black berries. They are also valued for crime prevention; being very dense, viciously spiny shrubs, they make very effective barriers impenetrable to burglars. For this reason they are often planted below potentially vulnerable windows, and used as hedges and other barriers. The berries are edible, and rich in vitamin C, though with a very sharp flavour; the thorny shrubs make harvesting them difficult, so in most places they are not widely consumed.
Berberis thunbergii is one of the best for culinary use. They were frequently used in the Victorian era, as this recipe demonstrates They are still made into a candy in Estonia, Lithuania and the Ukraine (known as (Barberis).
Berberis microphylla or
Berberis heterophylla (Calafate) and
Berberis darwinii (Michay) are two species found in Patagonia in Argentina and Chile and their edible purple fruit are used for jams and infusions. Zereshk (زرشک) is the Persian name for the dried fruit of
Berberis vulgaris, which are widely cultivated in Iran. Zereshk is widely used in cooking, imparting a tart flavor to chicken dishes. It is usually cooked with rice, called
zereshk polo, and provides a nice meal with chicken. Zereshk jam, zereshk juice, and zereshk fruit rolls are also produced in Iran.
Original Recipe
BARBERRIES PRESERVED IN BUNCHES.—Take the finest barberries, without stones, that can be procured; tie them together in bunches of four or five sprigs, and for each half pound of the fruit, boil one pound of fine sugar in water for twenty minutes; skim this thoroughly, throw in the fruit, and let it boil gently for ten minutes; remove from the fire, and when cold put into jars and cover with parchment. The barberries, thus prepared, make an agreeable garnish for sweet dishes, or for puddings.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
250g
barberries (still in their bunches), carefully de-seeded
500g caster sugar
670ml water
Method:
Tie the barberries in bunches of four or five sprigs (there will be about 8 to 10 fruit per sprig). Combine the sugar and water in a pan, bring to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes, skimming off any scum as it rises to the surface.
Add the fruit and boil gently for ten minutes then take off the heat and allow to cool completely. Pour into sterilized jars then cover with greaseproof paper. Seal securely and store for at least 4 weeks before use. These make and excellent garnish for desserts, puddings and sweet dishes of all kinds.
Find more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here
