With their amazingly vibrant colour and tangy flavour, red currants make a delicious spread for breakfast toast or crackers with cheese after dinner. Because they have so much natural pectin, they don't need a huge amount of sugar or long cooking time to set. This easy recipe makes a small batch intended to go into the fridge or get eaten up quickly, so no sterilization is required.
Ingredients
2 cups (1 pint) red currants, stems removed
1/4 cup water
3/4-1 cup (approximately) sugar
Method
Wash currants and combine with water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium and cook until currants are soft and wilted. Removed from heat and push currant mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, pushing on solids to fully release liquid. Discard solids and measure currant liquid, then return it to saucepan.
For every cup of currant liquid, add 3/4 cup of sugar. Bring currant and sugar mixture to a simmer, stirring to dissolve. Increase heat to medium high and boil, stirring, for 5 minutes or until a bit of currant mixture wrinkles when dropped on to a cold plate. Transfer to a jar and cool. (Recipe can be doubled if desired.)