Melba (Raspberry/Currant) Sauce

Submitted by: jej
Last Updated: 6/9/2007

This colorful and delicious sauce can be used over ice cream, and is particularly delicious when used for Peach Melba: Top a peeled peach half with a scoop of ice cream; top with Melba Sauce and garnish with fresh raspberries. Another simple and simply delicious dessert is to serve Melba Sauce with angel food cake and ice cream, garnishing with fresh raspberries, when in season.

1 c. raspberry juice, fresh or canned [See below to make juice from fresh or frozen berries.]
1/2 c. currant jelly
1/2 c. sugar

1/2 T. cornstarch
1 T. cold water

1. Mix juice, jelly, and sugar in sauce pan. Bring to boiling point, stirring fairly constantly.

2. Mix cornstarch with cold water and, stirring or whisking constantly, add to the boiling mixture. Continue boiling, stirring or whisking to prevent burning and/or lumping, until mixture becomes thick and clear.

3. Strain and cool.

TO MAKE RASPBERRY JUICE:

My favorite way to do this is FIRST to start the process the night before you need the juice. That is so the the berries can hang from a cupboard door overnight and not be in anyone's way.

Having set the stage for that, first look over the berries and wash them, then heat them to get them juicy. It will help to mash them a bit with a potato masher. If you are using frozen ones from the store, just thaw them. If they are pretty much whole, I'd probably still warm them up and mash them.

Next, pour berries into the cheesecloth which has been dampened (wring it out from water) and 'layered.' To do this step, have ample cheesecloth, at least two layers -- or 'doubled' -- ready so you can 'line' a bowl which is right for the amount of berries: Line a large bowl if you have a lot of berries, a medium-sized one if that will hold them all, etc.

***NOTE: The cheesecloth is dampened with water and wrung out so that it doesn't soak up your precious juice.

Then, when the berries are in the cheesecloth in the bowl, gather the edges of the cheesecloth together and tie them -- hobo style -- with a strong string or cord. Use the string to hang the "bag" from the cupboard door handle over the bowl which is sitting on the counter. Hang the "ball of berries" (or bag) low enough to the bowl that it drips in without splashing all over.

In the morning, most of the work (extracting the juice from the berries) will have been done during the hanging. Of course, the ball/bag of berries can still be squeezed so every last bit of these luscious berries comes through.