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This content has been automatically translated from Ukrainian.
From mid-June, currants begin to ripen. They can be enjoyed fresh or made into a very tasty jam without any pits. In this post, we will share our own experience of making it.
We will need:
- black currants
- water
- sugar
Preparation
We did not specify the exact amount of ingredients in the previous block right away, as you may have a different initial quantity of berries. Therefore, you will need to adjust the proportions according to each specific case.
We collected 1600 grams of berries. They need to be carefully sorted, washed, and dried with paper towels. Since we first need to pre-cook the berries until softened, we pour them into a pot and add 600 ml of water (about two cups). We turn on a low heat, wait for it to boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes. We turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
Using a fine sieve, we begin to mash the berries into a separate clean container. This mechanical and most labor-intensive step will achieve a gel-like consistency of the jam, in which there are no pits.
After separating the pulp, we can squeeze out the remaining juice using cheesecloth. We wrap the pulp in it and carefully squeeze it into the container with the mashed juice. We do this as carefully as possible to ensure that no pits get into our future jam.
As a result of mashing the pre-cooked berries (a total of 2000 g) through a sieve and squeezing the pulp, we obtained 1660 ml of juice, ready for making jam. In the classic recipes we found (one of them is a magazine from 20 years ago titled βConfits, Compotes, and Other Fruit Preserves,β which we briefly mentioned in the post about cherry confit), it is recommended to add sugar in a 1:1 ratio. However, considering our previous experience of making currant jam, it will be too sweet for our taste.
Since currants contain pectin, which allows the mass to gel without adding starch or a large amount of sugar, we decided to reduce the amount of sugar and add only 1100 g, which means the ratio is smaller. Essentially, we used exactly one third less sugar than juice.
We mix the sugar with the juice in a pot with a thick bottom, stir thoroughly, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a minimum. Stirring carefully and often, we cook the jam for about two hours.
We let it cool for a few minutes. During this time, we sterilize the jars and lids. We pour the jam into the jars, screw them shut, and let them cool completely. The jam that didnβt fit into a jar, we taste with cheese pancakes.
Enjoy! ;)
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