Blackcurrant jam

• чорна смородина↗600g g

  зняті стебла

• білий цукор‑кастер↗about 400g g

  або гранульований цукор

• лимон↗juice of ½ a

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, place the rack in the freezer. Lay out the jars you plan to use. Transfer the blackcurrants to a heavy saucepan with about 100 ml of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until the fruit breaks down into a coarse mass. Let it cool slightly.

2. 2

   Now you have two options. For a smooth jelly‑like jam, press the fruit through a sieve into a bowl. If you prefer a chunky jam with seeds, leave the mass as is. Regardless, weigh the fruit purée and add 400 g of sugar for every 500 g of mass, then return it to the saucepan.

3. 3

   Add the lemon juice and gently heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes or until the temperature reaches 105 °C (the setting point) on a kitchen thermometer. If you have no thermometer, test the setting point by placing a spoonful of jam on a cold surface. After a few minutes, run your finger through the jam – if the surface wrinkles, it is ready. If not, return to a boil for another 2 minutes and test again.

4. 4

   Remove from the heat and skim off the foam with a slotted spoon. Cool for 10‑15 minutes. Gently stir to distribute the fruit, then pour into sterilized jars. Store for 6 months in a cool, dry pantry.