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Vinegars & oxymels

Winter blackcurrant-thyme oxymel

The deep black of the blackcurrant and the green-gold of the thyme. A spoonful in a tall glass of water, and winter takes on a tangy taste.

A winter variation on the classic oxymel, pairing two plants with complementary aromas: blackcurrant (leaves and berries), rich in flavonoids and anthocyanins, and thyme, traditionally reputed antiseptic. The vinegar extracts the acidic and phenolic compounds, the honey fixes it all in a tangy syrup of intense black.

Ingredients

Equipment

  • •1 glass jar of 750 ml
  • •1 muslin or fine sieve
  • •1 tinted glass bottle for storage

Steps

  1. 1

    Crush the berries

    Roughly crush the blackcurrant berries with a fork to release their juice. If using dried leaves, crumble them between your palms to release the aromas.

    5 min

  2. 2

    Assemble

    In the jar, place the crushed berries (or the leaves) and the thyme. Pour in the vinegar, then add the honey. Stir patiently with a wooden spoon, the honey takes time to dissolve in cold vinegar, that's normal.

    10 min

  3. 3

    Macerate away from light

    Close and place away from light. Shake vigorously each day. The mixture will take on a dark purple colour, almost black, and become fragrant.

    3 to 4 weeks

  4. 4

    Strain

    Strain through a muslin, pressing the berries and thyme well. Decant into a tinted bottle. Label with the date.

    10 min

Storage

1 year in a cupboard, at room temperature; longer if kept cool.

How to use it

1 tablespoon diluted in a glass of water, as a tangy drink.

Health properties

  • Blackcurrant anthocyanins (red pigments), traditionally associated with microcirculation comfort
  • Blackcurrant leaf: a traditional use as a herbal tea, recognised by the EMA for minor joint pain
  • Thyme traditionally reputed antiseptic; the EMA recognises a traditional use of thyme (Thymi herba) as an expectorant in productive cough associated with colds
  • Blackcurrant berry rich in vitamin C (approx. 180 mg/100 g, Ciqual table, ANSES)

These preparations belong to cooking and herbal tradition: they nourish and support, do not “cure” anything and replace no treatment. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before prolonged use, if under treatment, pregnant or breastfeeding, or for a child. Follow the stated storage precautions strictly.

Precautions

People on anticoagulants: blackcurrant (rich in vitamin K in the leaves, and a blood thinner in the berries) may interact, seek medical advice. Not advised during pregnancy (thyme at high doses). Diabetics: account for the honey in the day's glycaemic count. Never heat (thymol is volatile, and the enzymes of raw honey degrade above 40 °C).

Sources & tradition

  • · European Pharmacopoeia (Ribis nigri folium and Thymi herba monographs)
  • · EMA/HMPC, European Union herbal monograph on Ribes nigrum L., folium (2010, revision 1 2017), traditional use
  • · EMA/HMPC, Community herbal monograph on Thymus vulgaris L. and Thymus zygis L., herba (traditional use)
  • · Cazin, Traité pratique des plantes médicinales indigènes (1868), use of blackcurrant
  • · ESCOP Monographs, Ribis nigri folium

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