Of all the varieties of currants, it is black that has the most intense color, rich aroma and a wonderful slightly tart taste. According to the latest research by scientists, regular consumption of these berries can help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Black currant season begins in June-July, but if you take care of harvesting it in time, you can enjoy the healthy fruits at any time of the year.
Choose large, smooth, ripe fruits that are free of wrinkles, wormholes, or other imperfections. Remove them from the branches, remove leaves and debris. Rinse under cold running water. Keep in mind that peeling a wet berry is much more difficult, so you should follow this procedure. For each kilogram of berries, prepare 500 ml of water, one kilogram of sugar and 10 grams of unsalted butter.
Take a simple china saucer and place it in the freezer or in the coldest compartment of your refrigerator. You will need the saucer later to determine the readiness of the jam.
Place the berries in a wide, deep saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. You need the tough skin on the berries to become tender, and the liquid almost completely evaporated. This important step should not be skipped, as after the addition of sugar, the skin on the fruit will no longer soften and the berries will not absorb the sweetness. After all, no one expects to find in jam not fruits saturated with juice, but solid rounds in syrup.
When the berries are softened, gently add sugar. Grains that have settled on the sides of the pan, brush them into the jam with a spoon, otherwise they will crystallize, they may even burn and spoil the taste of the whole dish.
Cook the black currants over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the sugar crystals are completely dissolved. Don't forget that sugar can sink to the bottom. When the berries are already boiled in syrup, increase the heat to maximum, after once again clearing the walls of the pan from the adhering sweetness. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove the chilled saucer from the fridge and drip the jam onto it. Touch the cooled drop with your finger. If the jam has frozen quickly and wrinkles have formed on its surface, the treat is ready. If not, cook for about 5 more minutes and repeat the experiment with the saucer again.
As soon as you determine the readiness of the jam, add butter to it. Stir. The melted butter helps to form a stable foam that can be removed with a simple slotted spoon. Keep in mind that foam does not affect the storage or taste of the jam in any way, it just looks more aesthetically pleasing without it. If you do not want to waste time on this, you can skip this step.
Cool slightly and pour the jam into hot sterilized jars. Cover the neck with wax paper and roll up. Blackcurrant jam is served on rye toasts, with various cheeses, they drink tea with it, add to pies, cakes, muffins, etc.
