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small jar of black currant jelly with many leaves around it.
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5 from 3 votes

The Best Black Currant Jelly

Black currant jelly is a delight, one of the most flavorful homemade jellies you could possibly make.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Preserves and Canning Recipes
Cuisine: English, German
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 3 small jars
Calories: 1030kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • 1 Pot
  • 1 Large pot ca 25 cm/ 10-inch diameter
  • 1 Fine mesh sieve

Ingredients

  • 750 g black currant 1.6 lb, Note 1
  • 500 ml water 2 cups, Note 1
  • about 680 g granulated sugar Note 2

Instructions

  • Cook black currants: Wash them in a sieve; there is no need to remove the stems. Place them in a pot (Note 3) and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until soft.
  • Push through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide pot. Press down with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible.
  • Juice-sugar ratio: Measure the juice you’ve extracted and return it to the pot. Measure the same amount of sugar and add it to the pot as well. In my case, I had 680 g/ 24 oz juice, so I added 680 g/ 24 oz sugar.
  • Boil: Bring to a boil while stirring very often. Once it comes to a rolling boil, cook it for 5 minutes, constantly stirring, until the jelly reaches about 104°C/ 220°F (See Altitude chart – Note 4).
    Push with the finger into the jelly; if you can make a trace through it, it’s done. If the liquid fills the trace again, give it another 1 or 2 minutes, then check again.
  • Remove any scum that has formed during cooking using a slotted spoon.
  • Transfer the jelly to the sterilized jars (Notes 5,6) and seal (Note 7).

Notes

  1. Use as many black currants as you have and adjust the water and sugar accordingly. The water should barely cover the berries, don’t use the double amount of water for the double quantity of berries.
  2. Measure the juice obtained after cooking and pushing the berries through a sieve, and use the same amount of sugar. If you use less sugar (about ¾), you might need to add a few more minutes to the cooking time. Make sure to make the test.
  3. Use a wide pot for cooking the jelly; the large surface helps the mixture set faster. My pot has a diameter of 25 cm/ 10 inches. If your pot has a smaller diameter, you might need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
  4. Altitude chart:
  • Sea level – 104° C/ 220° F
  • 300 m/ 1000 feet – 102° C/ 216° F
  • 900 m/ 3000 feet – 101° C/ 214° F
  • 1200 m/ 4000 feet – 100° C/ 212° F
  • 1500 m/ 5000 feet – 99° C/ 211° F
  • 1800 m/ 6000 feet – 98° C/ 209° F
  • 2100 m/ 7000 feet – 97° C/ 207° F
 
5. Sterilize jars: Wash them. Place the jars on a baking sheet and sterilize them in the preheated oven at 130°C/ 275°F for 20 minutes.
6. Sterilize lids: Wash them and boil them in a pot of water for 5 minutes.
7. If desired, can the jelly in the water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1jar | Calories: 1030kcal | Carbohydrates: 264g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 810mg | Sugar: 226g | Vitamin A: 575IU | Vitamin C: 453mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 4mg