Strawberry and redcurrant jam

Here’s a classic preserving principle that’s especially useful when making homemade jams and preserves: combine fruits that are naturally low in pectin with fruits that are rich in it. In this recipe, sweet strawberries are paired with redcurrants, which contain plenty of natural pectin. Gooseberries work equally well. The redcurrants don’t need to be fully ripe – in fact, slightly underripe fruit contains even more pectin. The same applies to gooseberries. Thanks to this combination, the jam reaches the perfect consistency much more quickly than a traditional strawberry-only jam. And the flavour? Even better. Give it a try!

Ingredients for strawberry and redcurrant jam:

• 400 g strawberries
• 600 g redcurrants
• 400 g sugar

Remove the redcurrants from their stems and hull the strawberries.

Place the fruit and sugar into a wide, shallow saucepan. Stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and simmer gently, uncovered, for approximately 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally, until enough liquid has evaporated and the jam reaches a thick, jelly-like consistency. It’s often easiest to spread the jam-making process over two days.

Note: The jam will thicken further as it cools.

How to check if the jam is ready: Place a small plate in the freezer. Spoon a little hot jam onto the chilled plate and leave it for a moment. If the surface forms a skin that wrinkles when gently pushed with your finger, the jam is ready.

Sterilise the jars either by pouring over boiling water or by heating them in an oven at 100°C. Carefully pour the boiling-hot jam into the sterilised jars and seal immediately. Set aside.

Pasteurisation:

Line the bottom of a large, wide saucepan with clean kitchen towels. Arrange the filled jars side by side in the pan. Pour in boiling water until it reaches approximately three-quarters of the height of the jars. Important: The temperature of the water should match the temperature of the jars. Never pour cold water around hot jars, as they may crack. Bring the water to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and process the jars for approximately 20 minutes. Carefully 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 slowly overnight.

Enjoy!