RED CURRANT JELLY

Red Currant Jelly image

Yield makes three to four 8-ounce jars

Number Of Ingredients 2

2 1/4 pounds red currants
Granulated sugar

Steps:

You don't have to top and tail the currants, or even take them off their stems. Simply wash them, put into a preserving pan with 1 3/4 cups of water, then simmer until they are very soft and have released all their juice. This will take about 45 minutes. Strain through a jelly strainer bag or cheesecloth (see p. 33) for several hours or overnight. Do not poke, squeeze, or force the pulp through the bag or you'll get cloudy jelly.
Measure the juice, put it into the cleaned preserving pan, and bring to a boil. For every cup of juice add 1 cup of sugar, adding it only when the juice is boiling. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, ensuring the sides of the pan are free of undissolved sugar crystals. Then boil rapidly for about 8 minutes, or until the setting point is reached (see p. 41).
Remove from the heat and stir to disperse any scum, then pour into warm, sterilized jars and seal (see pp. 21-22). Tap the jars to disperse any air bubbles caught in the jelly. Use within 1 year.
Add a couple of tablespoonfuls of chopped fresh mint to the jelly for the last 2 to 3 minutes of boiling.
Red currant jelly is the core ingredient of Cumberland sauce, a traditional partner to baked ham and game. Just add 1/4 cup of port, the grated zest of 1 orange and 1 unwaxed lemon, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, a pinch or two of English mustard powder (see p. 202), and perhaps a pinch of ground ginger to 10 tablespoons of red currant jelly.