We love a two-ingredient recipe, who doesn’t? To make currant jelly, all you need are fresh currants—our recipe works with red, white, or black currants—and sugar. Currants are naturally high in pectin, so the jelly doesn’t need any stabilizing ingredient. They also have a gorgeous color that translates to ruby (red), deep dark purple (black), or shimmering clear (white) jelly. Our version was inspired by the famous currant preserves of Bar-Le-Duc, France, where the original 14th-century recipe is still made.
This easy jelly is a classic pairing for game (think red currant jelly with venison), roast lamb or beef, and cold meats. It’s also delicious spread on crusty bread or scones, or add it to your next cheese and charcuterie board.
Fresh red, white, or black currants should not be confused with dried currants, which are a type of raisin. These colorful currants are jewel-like berries that grow on low bushes and ripen in midsummer. Red and white currants are very similar, they are the same size, but black currants are at least twice as big as their diminutive kin. Currants are available at farmers’ markets and specialty produce stores for just a few short weeks. (The best way to guarantee a supply of currants is to grow them in your garden.) They are part of the genus Ribes and are related to gooseberries.
The Difference Between Jam, Jelly, and Preserves
All three are a combination of fruit, sugar, and heat. The terms jam, jelly, and preserves may be used differently by cooks, but the general definitions are:
Jam: Jam is made with mashed fruit and may contain seeds if the fruit has seeds (like berries).
Preserves: Preserves have whole fruit or large pieces of fruit.
Substitutes for Currant Jelly
If you have a recipe that calls for currant jelly as an ingredient and you don't have any homemade currant jelly and you can't find it in stores, try substituting apple jelly or grape jelly. They don't have the same flavor (or color) but do have the same texture and bring a fruity flavor. Depending on the recipe, cranberry sauce or relish may also work as a substitute.
In a large saucepan, combine currants with 1/3 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fruit has broken down and released its juices, about 8 minutes.
Mash and strain currants:
Mash the fruit mixture with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. You should have about 4 cups juice. Discard solids.
Place a small plate in the freezer. Return juice to clean saucepan; add sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. When teaspoon of jelly placed on chilled plate ripples if pushed with your finger, it is ready.
Skim foam
Remove jelly from heat, and skim off any foam from surface.
Ladle into sterilized jars:
Ladle jelly into sterilized canning jars; wipe rims with a dishtowel. Seal tightly.
Process jars:
Meanwhile, bring a stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Using tongs, carefully place filled jars in boiling water, letting them sit 10 minutes. Remove; let cool.
If center of jar lids give when pushed with finger, jars have not sealed properly.
Storing and How Long Red Currant Jelly Lasts
Red currant jelly stored in sealed jars that were processed in a water bath (or in a pressure canner) will keep up to one year. After opening, the jelly should be refrigerated and will keep up to two months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you eat currants raw?
Yes, currants can be eaten raw but they are more tart than sweet like berries, so some find them an acquired taste. They are often used as garnish on top of summer desserts where their tartness is a complement to other sweeter flavors, like on on our Berry Wreath Pavlova.
What do currants taste like?
Red and white currants taste (and look) similar; they are tart with a touch of sweetness. Black currants are larger and have a distinctly different flavor, more earthy or musky than other currants (and a flavor much loved by connoisseurs).
Is red currant jelly like cranberry sauce?
Red currant jelly is sort of similar to cranberry sauce. One is a jelly and one a sauce, but both have a sweet-tart flavor and a deep red color, and they can be used similarly as a condiment for meats.
To make currant jelly, all you need are fresh currants—our recipe works with red, white, or black currants—and sugar. Currants are naturally high in pectin, so the jelly doesn't need any stabilizing ingredient.
Grape Jelly. Grape jelly, a classic favorite among jelly enthusiasts, is a wonderful substitute for red currant jelly and the best jelly for peanut butter and jelly sandwich. ...
Mistakenly thought to promote a tree disease, currant bushes across the country were systematically uprooted in the early 1900s, and production was prohibited for many years. But now you can find currants in the farmers' markets. Grab up some pints when you see them, because the season won't last long.
Currants, also called Zante currants or Black Corinth raisins, are dried berries that come from seedless Black Corinth grapes. These are not to be confused with black, red, or white currants, which are grape-like berries that come from shrubs and are not usually eaten dried.
Currants have a sweet and sour berry flavor. All varieties have a bright acid kick to balance out their sweetness, and a fair amount of tannins that can make your mouth pucker.
Currant varieties come in shades of red, black, and white. Red currants are high in pectin, making them ideal for jams and jellies. Black currants have five times the Vitamin C of oranges and make wonderful liqueurs. White currants are typically sweeter and less acidic than red currants and are best eaten fresh.
Apples, crabapples, gooseberries, some plums, and highbush cranberries usually contain enough pectin to form a pectin gel. Other fruits, such as strawberries, cherries, or blueberries, contain little pectin and can be used for jelly only if: Combined with fruit rich in pectin.
The jam tastes strongly of fruit, but to me it's also woodsy, and it's herbal in the way of some Sauvignon Blanc (in that, it can be unpleasantly strong).
Black currant ban, risks, and health benefits. Blackcurrant bushes were grown in America back in the 1629s, but in 1911, the professional cultivation of the plant was banned. It is a carrier of a fungus called white pine blister rust. Hence, blackcurrant was declared illegal to protect pine forests.
In 1911, the federal government banned the cultivation, sale, and transport of blackcurrants to protect the white pine. Government programs systematically destroyed blackcurrant plants by chemical spraying. The federal ban was lifted in 1966, though many states maintained their own bans.
Although the majority of 2023 currants have already entered the market, growers are holding back limited quantities, anticipating further price increases. Despite the scarcity and elevated prices, exports have surged, surpassing previous year levels.
With hard work and an education from a business school, the 39-year-old had successfully run four dairy farms and a creamery, and he took his chances on opening a cider mill in 1897.
An unopened jar of currant jelly can last up to a year beyond the printed date if it's stored in a cool, dry place. Once opened, the jelly should be refrigerated and will typically last for about 6 to 12 months. If you've frozen the jelly, it can last indefinitely, but for the best quality, use it within 12 months.
Raisins and Zantes are sweet dried fruits that stem from different varieties of vine-grown white grapes, while currants are fresh bush-grown berries that are more tart than sweet. The US (mainly California), Turkey, Australia and Greece produce raisins. The grapes naturally darken in colour as they dry in the sun.
currant, any of a number of flowering shrubs of the genus Ribes (family Grossulariaceae) and their edible fruits. The piquant juicy berries are used chiefly in jams and jellies and can be eaten fresh or dried. Several species are grown as garden ornamentals.
All currant varieties are about the size of large peas, slightly smaller than cranberries. They are also very tart, just like cranberries, but are juicy when raw (unlike cranberries, which are hard until they are cooked).
Address: Suite 461 73643 Sherril Loaf, Dickinsonland, AZ 47941-2379
Phone: +2678139151039
Job: International Administration Supervisor
Hobby: Dowsing, Snowboarding, Rowing, Beekeeping, Calligraphy, Shooting, Air sports
Introduction: My name is Catherine Tremblay, I am a precious, perfect, tasty, enthusiastic, inexpensive, vast, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/currant-jelly-0703-mla99668_vert-0723-43d1497f2a1c45b88acc1113b227d7ad.jpg "Currant Jelly (1)")
