How To Make Redcurrant Jam

Homemade Jam Recipes




Ingredients: Redcurrant Jam Recipe


Photo of Redcurrants2 lb / 1,000 grams of redcurrants
2 lb / 1,000 grams of white sugar
1 pint / 570 ml of tap water
1 teaspoon of lemon juice (this is optional)

Method - What To Do


A properly pruned redcurrant bush will often yield a bumper crop of fruit and as these berries will quickly spoil - or be eaten by blackbirds, making yourself a batch of jam is certainly a great way to preserve your harvest.

Pick off any of the stalks remaining on the fruit and place all of the berries in a large saucepan. Cover with the pint of water and bring the redcurrants to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, lower the heat a little and simmer for up to ten minutes, stirring slightly during this time. The berries should now be softer and ready for the next stage.

Take the saucepan off the heat and squeeze in the juice of one lemon (this adds a small amount of extra natural pectin and works with the sugar to improve the setting properties). Mix in the sugar gradually, so that it starts to dissolve. Continue to gently mix, to make the sugar to dissolve without the skins of the berries falling off.

As soon as you think that all of the granulated sugar has dissolved into the redcurrant syrup, place the pan back onto the heat and boil for several minutes, before simmering for an additional 15 minutes (or slightly longer). Throughout this time, you should still stir the mixture intermittently, scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula to ensure that none of the mixture starts to stick or burn.

By now, the syrup should be thick and sticky, indicating that your redcurrant jam is fast approaching its setting point. Take a small scoop of the mixture and drop it onto a cold plate (previously chilled in a freezer or a fridge). If the jam starts to solidify and a skin appears, then you can be quietly confident that your jam is the perfect consistency. If not, simply place the mixture back onto the heat, simmer for a few more minutes and repeat this simple plate test as many times as needed.

It is important to leave the jam to cool down for 15 minutes or so in the saucepan, so that when you spoon or funnel it into the sterilised glass jars, the berries will not all settle at the bottom or rise to the top. Instead, by letting the mixture cool a little, it will further thicken and allow the berries to be more evenly distributed in the jars.

Redcurrant Jam Recipe - More Jam Recipes.