Redcurrant Jam/jelly

[womble]

We've loads and loads of redcurrants and need to use them up, so we were thinking of making jam or jelly.
But we're a bit clueless here, never having this many before.
Whats the difference between jam and jelly? Jelly you are supposed to eat with meals or something... venison?

Or other good uses?

[WrexTheDragon]

Jam contains the whole fruit and jelly has it strained so it only has juice.

With me it depends on how much sugar I use, if I put it on bread I like a sweeter product than with meat.

It is a matter of individual taste.

[womble]

Thankyou, could you tell me how much sugar you put in each, jam and jelly?
And what you use the jelly for? I know you can use it with venison and stir some into gravy, which I have heard about, but not done.

[WrexTheDragon]

Same amout of sugar as fruit for either Jam or Jelly.

Because you filter the fruit for jelly you can put stalks and all into a pan. If making jam you need to pick each fruit without the stalk. This can be a pain.

[Sue]

Does anyone make redcurrant jam? Now I've got Cocoa the cat leaving a jelly bag draining is asking for big trouble. I've nowhere safe to leave it and jelly making has joined dressmaking as another no go area.
Sue

[blackkitty]

I've made red currant jam, I used slightly less sugar than fruit as otherwise it sets like a rock. I think I used about 450g sugar to 500g fruit and the juice of a lemon to each 500g (not to help it set but it lifts the flvour somehow) its quite a 'textured jam though.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Red Currant Jelly Virgin!

Right, I have oodles of redcurrants and will be embarking this eveing on the first stage of redcurrant jelly

If I am reading M Pattern Jam/Jelly/Preserves book correctly, you simmer up your redcurrants with a touch of water, stick in in a jelly bag (making do with old pillowcase) to drip, then for each 1pt of juice use 1lb sugar, boil till setting point.

Hereby lies the q - Mrs P is rather vague about when you are likely to get to the setting point. Are we talking 5 minutes or 2 hours here??

[WrexTheDragon]

Delia Smith’s Method

Method
The first easy thing is that there's no need to go through the tedious business of stripping the currants from the stalks. Just place the washed fruit – stalks and all – in a preserving pan, bring slowly to the boil and stir, pressing the redcurrants to break down the fruit and release the juice. As soon as the fruit is cooked (about 10 minutes), add the sugar, stir until absolutely dissolved, then bring the mixture up to a rapid boil, and boil for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, place a large nylon sieve over a bowl and line it with a double layer of gauze. Then, when the 8 minutes are up, tip the whole lot into the sieve and let it drip through. If you don't mind not having a completely clear jelly, you can press to extract as much as possible. Then pour the jelly into the jars, which have been washed, dried and heated in a moderate oven for 5 minutes, cover with waxed discs and seal while still hot.
.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Method
The first easy thing is that there's no need to go through the tedious business of stripping the currants from the stalks.

Now you bloody well tell me - guess what I've spent the last hour doing??

Just place the washed fruit – stalks and all – in a preserving pan, bring slowly to the boil and stir, pressing the redcurrants to break down the fruit and release the juice. As soon as the fruit is cooked (about 10 minutes), add the sugar, stir until absolutely dissolved, then bring the mixture up to a rapid boil, and boil for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, place a large nylon sieve over a bowl and line it with a double layer of gauze. Then, when the 8 minutes are up, tip the whole lot into the sieve and let it drip through. If you don't mind not having a completely clear jelly, you can press to extract as much as possible. Then pour the jelly into the jars, which have been washed, dried and heated in a moderate oven for 5 minutes, cover with waxed discs and seal while still hot.

Right-o - I'm onto it. Thanks WTD.

[sewer rat]

Right, I have oodles of redcurrants and will be embarking this eveing on the first stage of redcurrant jelly

If I am reading M Pattern Jam/Jelly/Preserves book correctly, you simmer up your redcurrants with a touch of water, stick in in a jelly bag (making do with old pillowcase) to drip, then for each 1pt of juice use 1lb sugar, boil till setting point.

Hereby lies the q - Mrs P is rather vague about when you are likely to get to the setting point. Are we talking 5 minutes or 2 hours here??

Usually a rolling boil for 15 minutes - I have redcurrants dripping through a jelly bag as I type this

[sewer rat]

Question - if you use the Delia Smith Method - how can you possibly know how much sugar to add ???????

[WrexTheDragon]

Question - if you use the Delia Smith Method - how can you possibly know how much sugar to add ???????

Same amount of sugar as fruit.

[Hilary B]

The Delia method wouldn't suit me. It HAS to waste sugar!
I like the 'stalks and all' approach. If you are straining, what difference do a few stalks make?
Time to setting point depends on all sorts of things:
How much water you added
How deep the stuff is in the pan
How fast your cooker will boil it
Basically 'setting point' is reached when you have boiled off enough water that the sugar content of the remaining jam is right.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Preserving Sugar

Thanks for your help everyone - quick change of plan last night as I hadn't got enough sugar, so I've extracted the juice and will get sugar today to make the jelly this evening.

Daft question time - do you use normal sugar or preserving sugar for redcurrant jelly?

[Hilary B]

Thanks for your help everyone - quick change of plan last night as I hadn't got enough sugar, so I've extracted the juice and will get sugar today to make the jelly this evening.

Daft question time - do you use normal sugar or preserving sugar for redcurrant jelly?

Either, but I wouldn't bother with JAM sugar. All currants have loads of pectin!