Summer time is also preserving time for most hobby cooks. Whether strawberries, raspberries, peaches and Co. – jams are an excellent way to enjoy our favorite fruits all year round. Of course you can always buy the ready-made stuff from the supermarket, but personally we like a homemade jam much better. And if you have more redcurrants than you can eat, then you will love our redcurrant jelly recipe! The little berries are in high season right now and we love their sweet, slightly sour taste! But enough talking – get to work and learn from us how to make currant jelly yourself!
Currant jelly recipe
You already know how to make cherry compote yourself. Once you have tried our currant jelly recipe, you will never want to buy the finished jam again – we promise you that. Unlike most homemade jams, you don’t need pectin to make this delicious spread. Currants naturally contain pectin, which provides a delicious texture without the need for additional stabilizers. Our recipe is very easy and whether you use red or black currants is up to you – the preparation is always the same.
Ingredients for about 1 kg of currant jelly
1 kg of currants 500 grams of preserving sugar 2:1 200 ml of water
preparation
Wash currants thoroughly and pat dry. You can use a fork to pry the individual berries off the stalks if you like, but it’s not a must. Pour the water over the fruit in a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the mixture in a coarse sieve and gently press with a spoon. To make the currant jelly even clearer, you can also squeeze out the fruit juice in a clean tea towel. Squeeze the blackcurrant juice – you should have about 1 liter of liquid. You can drink the rest for a little refreshment. But if you have less than 1 liter, then add some water. Put the blackcurrant juice and preserving sugar back into the saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened. Skim off the foam occasionally. Pour the still hot jelly into sterilized jars, close tightly and turn upside down. After a few minutes, turn the jars upside down again and let them cool completely. And voilà – the currant jelly recipe is that easy!
Prepare the currant jelly in the Thermomix
The currant jelly recipe in the Thermomix works much more easily and without much effort. Again, you can use both red and black currants.
preparation
Rinse the currants well and place in the Varoma insert – you don’t need to remove the stems beforehand. Pour water into mixing bowl, close and set Varoma on top. Juice the currants at level 1 for 1 hour and then pour through a coarse sieve into a jug. Allow the juice to cool completely and add to the mixing bowl with the preserving sugar. Mix on level 4 for 10 seconds and then cook at 100 degrees on level 3 for 15 minutes. Pour into clean jars, seal and turn upside down. And that’s how easy it is to prepare currant jelly in the Thermomix.
Why doesn’t the currant jelly set?
In order for your currant jelly to set, the ratio of preserving sugar and fruit juice is of crucial importance. In order to achieve the best possible results, it is therefore essential to pay attention to the quantities specified in the recipe. If your jelly still doesn’t set, you can boil it up again with a little citric acid. To do this, put the jelly back into the pot and add a pack of citric acid. Alternatively, you can do a gelling test before bottling. About 5 minutes after the cooking time, put a small teaspoon of jelly on a plate and wait 1-2 minutes. As the mixture thickens, your jelly will set nicely after the cooling time.
How to refine the currant jelly?
The great thing about our redcurrant jelly recipe is that you can spice it up in so many different ways.
It will be even more delicious if you add other types of fruit as well. How about a raspberry currant jelly, for example? Or with apples? Strawberries are also a delicious option to refine the currant jelly. When the cooking process is over, add a small dash of rum to the pot – this gives the jelly a very special touch. The currant jelly with Prosecco is a little more sour. Add some cinnamon for a Christmas touch.