Red Currant Jam
Red currant jam is quick and easy to make at home. Leave the seeds in for a chunky jam, or sieve them out, your choice.
Servings: 16 servings (1 half pint jar)
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids, and Rings
Ingredients
- 1 pound red currants
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the red currants by either hand-stemming them to keep the seeds, or planning to run the cooked fruit through a food mill for a smooth, seedless jam.
- Add a splash of water or juice to a saucepan to prevent scorching, then add the currants and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in sugar to taste and let it dissolve.
- Simmer just until the jam thickens and begins to set, only a few minutes. Pull it off the heat as soon as it sets, since red currants set hard if overcooked.
- For seedless jam, run the cooked fruit through a food mill now. Ladle into prepared jars and refrigerate, or process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes with 1/4 inch headspace.
Notes
Fruit Amounts: One pound red currants is about 2 1/2 cups, or a heaping farmer's market pint. One pound of sugar is about 2 cups. My ratio by volume is 2 1/2 cups whole fruit to 1 cup sugar for best flavor and set.
Yield: One pound of red currants makes about 1 half-pint jar. The recipe scales up easily to 4 to 6 pounds per batch.
Sugar Amounts: Sugar is to taste and set here and doesn't affect canning safety. A 2:1 fruit-to-sugar ratio suits most people. For a classic, old-fashioned jam, increase the sugar to 1 pound fruit to 1 pound sugar for a sweet, store-style jam.
Seeds or Seedless: Hand-stem and leave the seeds in for a chunkier jam, or run the cooked fruit through a food mill or sieve for a smooth, seedless one. Both set well.
Batch Size: Unlike most jams, red currant jam scales up well because the high natural pectin sets the fruit fast. Stay at or below about 6 pounds per batch to keep the bottom from scorching.
Frozen Currants: Cook them straight from frozen and skip the added water, since they release plenty of their own as they thaw.
Sugar substitutes: Honey can change the gel and the flavor, and may scorch before it sets, but it will work in most cases. Just watch it carefully as you cook it. Sugar-free sweeteners like monk fruit won't set properly.
Altitude Adjustment: Process for 10 minutes below 6,000 feet, or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Tbsp | Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.3mg
