Jam Session

Red Currants

During the last five years or so, currants seem to have vanished from my local supermarkets. Now they are a “specialty item” and need to be ordered ahead of time. If it’s the same in your area, you might as well ask for a flat or two if you are special-ordering them. One flat of currants is 4½ pounds (twelve 6-ounce boxes).

Because of their high pectin content, currant preserves are great to have on hand to add to other fruits that may have lower pectin or that fall a bit flat in the flavor. Currants pair really well with raspberries and strawberries, and if you add some currant puree to the berries, you won’t have to cook them as long to reach the gel point, thus keeping their flavor more vibrant. You can turn the currant puree into a delicious jam by cooking it with sugar and a bit of lemon juice.

Currant jam is great served with cream cheese, roast pork, turkey, or anything that needs a big hit of tartness.

In a large preserving pot, gently combine the currants and water. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat; then decrease the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 20 minutes.

Run the currant mixture through a food mill or process in a food processor. You should have about 4 cups of currant puree.

Transfer the puree to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pot, decrease the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. At this point, the currant puree can be refrigerated for a few days until you are ready to use it to add to one of the berry jams.

Place a baking sheet on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set two stockpots on the stove and fill them with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see this page) in the water bath.

In a large preserving pot, combine the currant puree, 3 cups of the sugar (4 cups for a sweeter jam), and the lemon juice.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently and skimming as necessary, until the jam passes the plate test (see this page), achieving a rather firm set. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheet.

Ladle the jam into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Using a jar lifter, gently lower the jars into the pots. When the water returns to a boil, decrease the heat to an active simmer, and process the jars for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pots to the baking sheet and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see this page). Label and store the sealed jam for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

This preserve is sweet, tart, and a bit spicy. My grandchildren think this is the best jam ever!

In a large preserving pot, combine the berries, sugar, and lemon juice and set aside to macerate for a few hours. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove from the heat. Let sit overnight.

The next day, bring the berry mixture to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 1 hour so the berries can plump up a bit.

Set a colander over a bowl and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the strawberries to the colander.

Place two baking sheets on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set two stockpots on the stove and fill them with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see this page) in the water bath.

Add the currant puree to the strawberry syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until thickened, skimming and stirring frequently. Carefully return the strawberries to the pot, along with any juices that have collected in the bowl under the colander. Add black pepper to taste. Boil until the jam thickens and passes the plate test (see this page). Let rest for 5 minutes. Stir once to distribute the berries. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheets.

Ladle the preserves into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pots to the baking sheets and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see this page). Label and store the sealed preserves for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Establishing the balance of flavor between the sweet-tart raspberries and the tart currants is a personal decision. You may want the raspberries to dominate, in which case you’ll use less than the full amount of currant puree I call for (and prefer).

2 cups currant puree (see Red Currant Jam, this page), or less or more as preferred

In a large preserving pot, gently combine the raspberries, 4 cups of the sugar, and the lemon juice. Let sit overnight to macerate.

The next day, place two baking sheets on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set two stockpots on the stove and fill them with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see this page) in the water bath.

Place the raspberry mixture over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the currant puree. Return the mixture to a boil and cook, skimming and stirring frequently to prevent seeds from settling on the bottom of the pot and sticking. As you cook, taste and adjust the amount of currant puree and sugar, adding more to taste. Cook until the mixture thickens and passes the plate test (see this page), achieving a soft set that mounds on the plate and is not runny. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheets.

Ladle the preserves into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Currant jelly used to be a staple in every pantry. It was kept on hand to glaze berry and plum tarts and to make the now-obscure Cumberland sauce to serve with roast meats. It was served with cream cheese for elegant tea sandwiches. Because of its high pectin content, I keep it on hand to thicken recalcitrant berry, plum, or cherry jams and appreciate the tart zing it adds to the blend—it’s sort of a colorful and tart version of apple pectin.

In a large preserving pot, combine the currants and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, decrease the heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, mashing the currants as they cook.

Transfer the currants and their juices to a dampened cheesecloth-lined colander or a jelly bag set over a bowl. Let drain for several hours or overnight.

Measure the currant juice. Transfer it to the preserving pot. Measure out the same amount of sugar and add to juice. Taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice if needed.

Bring the currants and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the mixture boils, do not stir. Skim if necessary and cook until it passes the plate test (see this page), achieving a relatively firm set. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheet.

Ladle the jelly into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Using a jar lifter, gently lower the jars into the pots. When the water returns to a boil, decrease the heat to an active simmer, and process the jars for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pots to the baking sheet and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see this page). Label and store the sealed jelly for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.