With only four ingredients and in only fifteen minutes you’ll be on your way to the best Red Currant Jam you’ve ever tasted with this simple recipe!
I’m kicking off the recipes of Red Currant Week with a basic, yet incredibly delicious Red Currant Jam. When I began looking for recipes to make for #RedCurrantWeek, I found many jam recipes that seemed very complicated with many steps and used gelatin. I wanted to make something simple yet had a distinct currant flavor and kept its tartness.
I scored big on all those things with this recipe from David Lebovitz. I urge you to click over to his post and read the story behind this recipe and you’ll understand why I chose it. This Red Currant Jam has been made this way for decades and I knew this recipe would be a winner!
I added the lemon zest to his original recipe, but if you don’t have any that’s okay too. I just really love lemon and fruit together because the lemon just adds brightness and acidity that brings out the flavor of the berries.
Unlike David’s recipe, I didn’t have a food mill but found that using a food processor and a wire/mesh strainer worked just as well. You’ll also need a food scale for this recipe since it’s necessary to weigh the sugar before adding it to the berries.
My family absolutely loves this recipe on any bread product they can get their hands on. I particularly love it with a fresh croissant smeared with butter then Red Currant Jam. I’m pretty certain that’s my daughter’s favorite way to eat it too because she devoured my prop croissant after this photoshoot!
If you missed yesterday’s post on the History of Red Currants and why I’m currently obsessed with them… you can check it out here!
Follow along on social media with hashtag #RedCurrantWeek and share with me your favorite red currant recipes!
Happy Baking!
Red Currant Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh red currants, removed from the stems
- water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan
- granulated sugar (amount depends on weight of puree - see instructions)
- zest & juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 jam jars with lids, sterilized
Instructions
- Rinse the berries and remove them from the stems. Use the method here to carefully destem the berries.
- Place the berries in a large pot and just barely cover the bottom of the pot with water.
- On medium high heat, cook 3-5 minutes until the berries have become soft and wilted.
- Place berries and water in a food processor and blend until you've reached a puree consistency.
- Press the puree through a mesh strainer and discard any seeds and skin remaining.
- Weigh the remaining puree and measure out the same weight of granulated sugar.
- Put the puree and weighed sugar in the same large pot along with the juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon and stir to combine.
- Bring pot to a boil over medium-high heat and cook undisturbed for 7 minutes.
- Skim the scum off the top of the boiled mixture.
- Ladle or pour the jam into prepared jars and screw on the lid.
- Refrigerate 24 hours or until set.
- Jam will keep cold for several weeks... if your family doesn't eat it all first!
Notes
Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz
Melissa
Sunday 11th of July 2021
Delicious recipe, I like the addition of the lemon. Making it for the 2nd summer in a row. I also hot water bathed it for 10 min. A family fav.
Cynthia
Saturday 1st of July 2017
This recipe is fantastic!! Just perfect for my pint of currants I purchased where my three daughter's work. I used pink champagne currants and my jam was a light pink, very pretty, color. Thanks for the recipe! It was easy to follow and my jam turned out so nice and so good.
Betsy Eves
Sunday 9th of July 2017
Fantastic, Cynthia! I'm so glad you liked it!! Thanks for leaving a comment letting me know :)
gigi
Friday 22nd of August 2014
this looks incredible! I recently came across some red currants and had no idea what to do with them. I will so try this! thanks for the recipe hun! xx. gigi.
Betsy Eves
Friday 22nd of August 2014
I'll be posting three more recipes next week! :)
Alison
Wednesday 20th of August 2014
I made red currant jam with my host family when I was an exchange student in Bavaria back in 2003. It was the first time I ever had currants, and I still remember that jam! I'll have to try this recipe. :-)
Debra @ Worth Cooking
Tuesday 19th of August 2014
Love the bright red color! I have never tried red currants, but this looks delicious.