The quickest and best way to make redcurrant jelly, so that the flavour of the fruit shines through. Can't believe I've never posted this before, but I couldn't find it when a friend asked for the recipe. It comes via Jane Grigson, from her Fruit Book, so I'm quoting her direct:
Run a thin layer of water over the base of the preserving pan, then put an equal weight of red currants - no need to remove the stalks - and sugar. Stir and heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved, then raise the heat and boil hard for 8 minutes. Tip out onto a sieve set over a bowl, or into a jelly bag, and pour the resulting liquid into small pots.
I always use a fine plastic sieve.
I was thrilled to find the Eliza Acton recipe - and tried it a few years back. But compared with cooking the fruit and straining the juice before adding the sugar, the result was disappointing (and all the sticky stalks and skins - not nice for the compost heap!)
ReplyDeleteCelia
absolutely right. I am sure you would achieve exactly the same results by cooking the fruit first in the conventional manner and then putting through jelly bag and THEN adding the sugar and boiling up. Anything to avoid the appalling sticky detritus that one is left with using this recipe.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm amazed. I just take the nylon sieve straight out to the compost. No problem. When I get back the jelly has set. It's that quick. And a lovely clear red, no possibility of overboiling it so it goes brown
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