We have been eating like kings around here lately – and I am
not talking about this huge portion of Poutine that I scarfed down last week. Seriously,
it took me a complete 24 hours to recover from that box of deep fried goodness
dripping with gravy. I chose veggie gravy to keep it ‘lite.’ HA!
No, what I’m talking about is all the fresh lettuce and
arugula and basil and cilantro from my garden. I’m talking about the rhubarb
that I grew and turned into rhubarb butter. I’m talking about the juicy dark
red strawberries growing right in my yard.
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And I’m talking about 8 pounds of juicy currants picked
fresh just for me. A gift from nature.
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Here’s what
you need:
4 pounds
fresh currants
1 C water
6 C sugar
3 ounce pack
of liquid pectin
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Here’s what
you do:
Clean,
separate and pick over the berries. Place in large deep pot with 1 C water.
Smash a bit with a potato masher. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Strain
the juice and discard the seeds and skins.
Continue until you have 5 C of juice. Return to the pot and add 6 cups
of sugar. Boil for a few minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the
pectin and continue to boil for about 30 seconds.
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Place hot jelly in prepared ½
pint jars. Secure the lids and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
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I love having a garden, it is great to have all the fresh veggies and fruit during the summer. I have never had currant jelly before, but I heard that it is really yummy.
ReplyDeleteSigh! It's not allowed to grow currants in Maine, a protective measure against some bugs that might be harbored by currants (or gooseberries) that infest white pines. I had white currants in my garden in Germany (the red ones would be gobbled up by blackbirds) and DO miss them!
ReplyDeleteKarin, I have never heard of the bug problem with the white pines. Too bad. I actually had some white currents hidden in the bottom of the bowl pictured here. I found them to be very mild and juicy. Delicious! I can't imagine how beautiful jelly made with white currants would be!
DeleteAs I was growing up my father had some currant bushes in the yard. My mother would make jelly from the berries he harvested. I haven't had currant jelly for many years, but your description of the jelly-making process brought back the taste to me.
DeleteSIGH!
DeleteLooks great - I have found you don't need to add pectin. Or stem them.
ReplyDelete