Red Currant Jam
When I first met Bruce, he was a canner of the first order--and surely the only person canning at any given moment in New York City! On the hottest summer days, our kitchen would be filled with steam. We even considered installing an air conditioner in the window. Never did it, but people say it's the thought that counts. Seems to me it's the air conditioner that counts. But call me a crazy Texan.
Soon, the shelves in the living room were lined with jars of jams, jellies, and pickles, serried up in front of the books. It looked as if we were running a general store for graduate students--home-canned fruit and vegetables along with volumes of Yeats and Auden.
Now that we've moved to the country, Bruce is always in canning heaven. Right now, the red currants are coming in like mad. All this rain and cool weather in the Northeast has given us a bumper crop. So yesterday, amid the rumbling thunder and while I tried to get a bunch of gooseberry bushes into a plot in the backyard, he cranked out five small jars.
First, he mixed 1 pound stemmed red currants, 2 cups water, and a 8 or 10 raspberries in a saucepan. He set it over medium-high heat, brought it to a simmer, reduced the heat to low, and simmered slowly for 30 minutes.
Why the raspberries? Because he didn't want to add pectin of any sort to the preserves. Currants have tons by nature, but a few extra pectin-rich raspberries are a good insurance policy to make sure the jam sets.
Meanwhile, he put five 1/2-pint jars, canning lids, and sealable rings in a large saucepan with water and brought it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, he covered the pot, lowered the heat, and kept them quite hot.
Next, he poured the sugar into the simmering currants. 1 1/2 pounds of the stuff. Pounds, not cups. It's important to measure by weight in jam-making to assure the chemical formula works exactly right. The sugar might be more compacted from long storage, might be a little dusty, might be any number of things. Weight is the key.
Stirring constantly, he brought the whole thing back to a full simmer. Then he reduced the heat a bit and simmered it, stirring fairly often, until the mixture reached 222F on a candy thermometer clipped to the inside of the pan. To be honest, 221F is the set point, but an extra degree is just more insurance. And while the temperature rises quickly to the 210s, it takes quite a while to push it up over 220F. Patience is a virtue. Mostly.
He put the very hot, boiled jars and lids on the counter, then ladled in the jam, wiping clean the rims before sealing the jars shut with a lid and a ring. No need to can these in a water bath. Just turn them upside down on the counter for 10 minutes to seal and sterilize the insides. Then turn them over and wait for the lids to pop closed with that characteristic ping. If any don't, store these in the fridge and enjoy them straightaway. It's summer on toast--even months from now, when we're locked deep in snow and ice.
condiments, fruit, jam | 1 Reference
Reader Comments (4)
Looks yummy!
But I suggest minimizing it!
Stay away with sweet foods!
Thanks for the recipe though!
Stay away from sweet foods? I'm not sure you're on the right blog.
M.
Just harvested mu currents, I think I will give this a try.
I'm going to have to try that! Canning is fun, it just takes up so much time. Worth it in the end though