# Red Currant Jelly with no pectin!



## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

I have a single but massive Currant bush that grew over my head. It was a twig two years ago when it was gifted to me by a friend who passed on. This is the first year I made Jelly with them! After seeing it produce 3 gallons of berries..I had to honor my friends memory by doing something special and I loved making it, a royal red elegant Organic Red Currant Jelly! I didn't use pectin as it contains a high content naturally. This was a very easy jelly to make. While we are building our stores of essentials in our pantries for winter..why not have some fun?

For each pound of picked Currants be sure to keep the stems on, add 1/2 cup of water, simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, berries lose their color. Then pour through cheese cloth or jelly bag. Get your jars, ring and lids ready. Take the Currant Juice after a quick taste..good even before sugar but tart... Measure out an even ration, each cup of Currant juice, add one cup of Organic Raw Sugar if you can get it, simmer on a soft boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, allow a little to coat your spoon after the 15 minutes, set in fridge, if it gels quickly you are done! If it does not gel on your spoon you can simmer longer but be careful you can cook down the pectin if you simmer too long, testing for readiness is very important with this simple recipe.

Once you have determined your Currant Jelly is ready to pour, ladle it into your prepared hot jars an inch or an inch and 1/2 whatever the head space is according to the jars rim. You will only need to boil the jars to seal for 10 minutes. 1/2 pints or pints both the same

This is a very pretty Jelly and tastes divine! 

My cost for 14 jars was only $3. That is due to the sugar cost as my lids were gifted to me, my jars and rings I have had for years, trades and gifts....

For single jar of Organic Currant Jelly you would pay more! So why not find those currants and make some! I know other parts of the country have them in the woods, be sure of what you pick always though...


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I planted a red currant twig this spring, and got a handful of berries. Maybe I will get lucky enough for a batch of jelly next year.
Did it set up enough without pectin??


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

beaglebiz said:


> I planted a red currant twig this spring, and got a handful of berries. Maybe I will get lucky enough for a batch of jelly next year.
> Did it set up enough without pectin??


It set up beautifully no differently at all! Being that it was my first batch, I was wondering if it truly was this easy....IT IS. The trick I think is to have confidence when you see it can coat the spoon in the fridge. It will not show the true SET until it cools completely in the jars though...so the time I posted is important not to simmer too long. I think my time was about 20 minutes total. I started checking the gel on the spoon in the fridge at the 15 minute mark.

After that lovely batch, I am going to make the rest today. 

The twig I started with became a bush in a year and this is I guess the third season on it. The second year I got about a gallon worth of berries. I was rather surprised to see the growth this year. Be sure you have your bush where it can branch out and up! I was so surprised to see how big mine got. My friend who gave this to me never had giants like this one.


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

I have red currant bushes too. I love how easily they take root.

I always utilize them. I add some of the juice to other berry juice to aid in the gelling.

It makes a wonderful conserve with chopped walnuts and diced unpeeled lemon. Use the whole unstrained currants complete with seeds for this.

We don't get to have sugary delicacies any more due to health issues but I would surely love to taste some currant conserve. I enjoy making preserves and give them away as "thank you's" or as trading stock.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Island of Blueb said:


> I have red currant bushes too. I love how easily they take root.
> 
> I always utilize them. I add some of the juice to other berry juice to aid in the gelling.
> 
> ...


I just finished the last jars to add four more and that is from one bush. 18 jars of jelly is pretty good. I let the birds and my grandson eat about half...well not on purpose as the wedding was going on with my daughter...

I just did a batch of Raspberry Preserves the same way and it jelled perfectly!


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

The yield this year was 2 gallons of berries with grandson and birds of course eating theirs on just one bush! It is jelly time again and...another wedding for the older daughter! 

What a great Jelly to share and enjoy. I dug a hole beside the currant bush and put chicken bones, veggie scraps and coffee grounds...the bush went nuts with glee. It was absolutely loaded and I had to support it with big sticks.

Here is a small angle view with the netting to help me save some...


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

Beautiful! I love to look at them.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I love currants. I wish we had a bush. They are great for making jam and for all sorts of chutney type mixtures.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Island of Blueb said:


> Beautiful! I love to look at them.


It is sadly that I pick the last sprigs but I always leave scattered little single berries....have to share and when my grandson comes out, there will be just enough left for him to find! They sure are pretty, aren't they?



mekasmom said:


> I love currants. I wish we had a bush. They are great for making jam and for all sorts of chutney type mixtures.


Where you live, will these grow? They are so very easy to have and their yield is nice for the size bush they are.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Yes fast forward to July 19th 2018. I just finished a small batch of 9 jars. Different sized but a rewarding experience to get this done! This makes 2 years in a row since my temporary move to CO which lasted 3 years.


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## alida (Feb 8, 2015)

This was the first year I tried making black currant jam! I made a very small batch first to see how it firmed up without pectin. Well it turned hard enough to cut into cubes! Great taste though when sliced onto a toasted bagel. Yes sliced. I cooked the second small batch for half the amount of time,to when it had barely started to jell. That batch is spreadable,just. I mentioned this to a colleague who makes a lot of that jam and she said it usually gels for her after 5 minutes simmering. Now I know. Most of the currants were a gift from my sister who noticed a home where currants were growing,but not getting picked. She met the owners when they were outside and asked if she could pick a bunch,with a promise of a jar of jam as a thankyou. They told her to help herself as they didn't like currants and wouldn't pick them. So she picked black currants and returned with a jar of strawberry orange jam instead as a thank you. She's invited to pick again next year


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Glad to hear about the black currants as I have two bushes. They seem to send up shoots from the soil, like suckers...Little did I know!!! Thanks.


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## shawnlee (Apr 13, 2010)

I will be planting these if they will grow in Kansas, should compliment the dozen or so mulberry trees on the property !


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

Now I know I am getting overwhelmed with political shenanigans. At a glance, I could have sworn the thread title was "Red Currant Jelly with no Putin"!


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

Glad to hear about the black currants as I have a row in our windbreak...I will be picking next year and sharing with the birds!


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