Blackcurrant jam

My favourite jam. The only thing I love more is plum butter. I adore blackcurrants for their flavour, their aroma and their beautiful colour, and turning them into jam is a real pleasure. Blackcurrants are naturally rich in pectin, so the jam thickens beautifully all on its own ;).

Ingredients for blackcurrant jam:

• 1 kg blackcurrants
• 500 g sugar, or less, to taste

Remove the blackcurrants from their stalks. Place them in a wide, shallow saucepan with the sugar. Stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook uncovered for about 1–2 hours, until enough liquid has evaporated for the jam to reach the desired, jelly-like consistency. Stir from time to time. Note: the jam will thicken further as it cools!

How to check whether the jam is ready? Place a small plate in the freezer. Spoon a little hot jam onto the frozen plate. If it sets and a skin forms on the surface that wrinkles when touched, the jam is ready and no further cooking is needed.

Sterilise the jars (with boiling water or in an oven preheated to 100°C). Pour in the boiling jam and seal tightly. Set aside.

The same recipe can be used to make redcurrant jam.

Pasteurisation:

Line the bottom of a large, wide saucepan with tea towels. Place the jars inside, one next to another, and pour in enough boiling water to come three-quarters of the way up the jars. Bring to the boil (the water temperature must be similar to the temperature of the jars – never pour cold water over hot jars, as they may crack). Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. After this time, remove the jars and leave them to cool completely. Some people also turn the jars upside down and wrap them in blankets, leaving them to cool overnight.

Enjoy!