Red Currant Jelly for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Pick or buy ripe red currants. This recipe uses a 1:1 ratio of sugar to berries, so you can use any amount of berries and an equal amount of sugar. Wash the berries well under running water; you don't need to strip them off the stems.

2. Step 2:

   

   Put the berries and sugar in a pot so they fill it halfway, and mash the berries with the sugar vigorously, using a spoon or a potato masher, for 5 minutes. In that time the berries will release as much juice as possible and it will combine with the sugar.

3. Step 3:

   

   Put the pot over high heat. As it heats up, the mixture will foam a lot (much like making tomato juice, so use a pot with high sides). Stir the jelly-to-be constantly with a spoon, and you can lower the heat a bit. Once the foam subsides and the jelly comes to a boil, boil it for 6–8 minutes.

4. Step 4:

   

   Press the hot jelly through a sieve and pour it into jars right away.

5. Step 5:

   

   From the amount of ingredients given, I got one and a half liters of jelly. Leave the jars on the counter until they've cooled completely. Seal the cooled jars with metal lids (screw-top jars and lids are best). I usually add agar-agar to the berries when making jelly for the winter, but red currants contain a lot of pectin, which boosts the gelling power of the finished product and sets well on its own.

6. Step 6:

   

   I usually store this jelly in the cellar or refrigerator, but according to my friend it keeps perfectly in the pantry at home, so this year I stored mine in the pantry too. Red currant jelly by the fastest recipe is ready! For a more detailed recipe, see the video. Enjoy!