Black currant is one of the most unpretentious garden crops. Breeders bred varieties, fruiting large berries. At the same time, this product is extremely useful due to the high content of vitamins and other valuable substances. High yield, pleasant taste and useful properties of the berries cause a natural desire to procure currants for future use. Its fruits are frozen, fray with sugar, compote, jam are closed from them. One of the most popular blanks is black currant jam. The pleasant color, bright aroma and rich sweet-sour taste of this dessert make it popular in cooking.
Cooking Features
Making black currant jam is not a difficult process. The knowledge of several subtleties will allow getting an excellent result even for an inexperienced hostess.
- Jam is better to cook from ripe or even slightly overripe, but fresh berries. Before cooking currants should be picked, cleared of leaves.
- You can wash currants under running water. After the berry is poured into a colander and wait until it dries a little. Drying it on a towel is optional, as it will still be prepared with the addition of water at the first stage.
- Simple options for making blackcurrant jam involve chopping the berries, mixing them with sugar and then boiling the berry mass on low heat until you get the desired consistency (jam is considered ready if its drops do not spread on a saucer). To speed up the process, gelling components are sometimes added to the jam, although there is no great need for them - the currant itself contains a fair amount of pectin.
- In the blackcurrant jam prepared according to the classical technology, there are bones and pieces of hard currant skin that make the jam not quite pleasant to the taste. To get rid of them, the berry is ground through a sieve. It will be easier if you boil it a little. The effort spent on grinding berries is rewarded by a delicate taste and an appetizing kind of ready-made delicacy.
- When using thickeners, pay attention to the instructions for use posted on the packages. The consistency and composition of these products are not always identical, the manufacturer's recommendations may differ from the instructions given in the recipe. The instructions on the packaging in this case is considered a priority.
- Do not use aluminum utensils for making jam. There are many organic acids in currants, on contact with which aluminum forms harmful substances.
- The larger the evaporation area, the better the jam is boiled. In the pelvis, you can cook it faster than in a saucepan.
- Black currant jam can be stored all winter only if it is spread on sterilized containers and hermetically sealed with lids boiled for 5-10 minutes.
Storage conditions for blackcurrant jam may depend on the specific recipe, but usually it is well worth it at room temperature.
Classic Black Currant Jam Recipe
The composition (1, 75 liters):
- black currant - 1 kg;
- sugar - 1, 2 kg;
- water - 150 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Reassemble and rinse the currants well, let it dry for a while, pour into an enamel bowl or other container suitable for making jams and jams.
- Fill the berries with water, put on medium heat.
- Wait for the water to boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes.
- Mash the berries well with a potato masher, mix.
- Heat over low heat until the berry mass begins to boil. In portions of 0, 2 kg, enter the sugar, each time to achieve its complete dissolution.
- Cook over low heat, stirring so that the currant does not stick, removing the froth protruding on the surface, until the jam is thick enough.
- Sterilize the jars and their lids.
- Fill the jars with blackcurrant jam, twist them with metal lids.
You can store jam prepared according to this recipe in the pantry or in any other not too hot room.
Pitted Blackcurrant Jam
Composition (1 l):
- black currant - 1 kg;
- sugar - 0, 75 kg.
Method of preparation:
- Pick a currant, rinse it under running water, sprinkle it on a towel so that the berries dry out faster.
- Grind the berries with a blender or meat grinder.
- Rub the berry puree through a sieve. As a result, you separate the juice from the grains and peel.
- Mix blackcurrant juice with sugar. Put the basin with him on the stove.
- Bring to a boil over low heat, boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Cover with gauze and leave for 5-6 hours, you can overnight.
- Cook the jam for another 15 minutes, again leave to cool for at least 5 hours.
- For the third time, make jam for 20 minutes.
- Spread hot mass on sterilized cans, seal them cork tightly.
Jam made according to the above recipe looks very appetizing, as it has a bright color, it turns out transparent, without stones and skins. This dessert is pleasant to eat with spoons. It can be used as an addition to ice cream, cottage cheese and other desserts, as a filling for pies and other pastries. Store jam should be in a cool place.
Black currant jam with gelatin
The composition (1, 5 l):
- black currant - 1 kg;
- sugar - 0, 8 kg;
- water - 0, 45 l;
- gelatin - 20 g.
Method of preparation:
- Pour the prepared currants with a glass of water, boil for 5 minutes. Cool, wipe through a sieve. If you pre-crush the berry with a blender, it will be easier to grind.
- Mix berry juice with sugar. Leave for 2-3 hours in a cool place.
- Place the bowl with the billet on a slow fire, cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Pour gelatin with remaining clean water. After 10 minutes, pour into the bowl with jam, mix.
- Warm up, stirring for 2-3 minutes more.
- Distribute to prepared banks, roll up.
The jam made according to this recipe has a delicate texture resembling jelly. This option can be considered economical.
Black currant jam is a different application in cooking. If you have a large harvest of berries, do not be lazy to make this sweet harvest.
