Red Currant Jelly – Red Currant Sorbet

Making jellies is a bit more involved than making jams, but when red currants are in season I make the time. This jelly is classic and so is the recipe – simple and straightforward – currant juice, sugar, a splash of lemon juice and a dab of butter - et voila!

The results are fit for a King (or his Queen); you will feel like royalty when spread that scarlet sweetness across your morning scone. With the pulp that is left over from the jelly-making you can throw together a quick Currant Sorbet: Red Currant Jelly for breakfast, Red Currant Sorbet for dessert…what a wonderful life!

RED CURRANT JELLY


INGREDIENTS

6 lbs Red Currants

4 ½ cups White Sugar

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

1/2  Tablespoon Butter



DIRECTIONS 

Place the currants into a large pot, and crush with a potato masher, flat back of a large spoon,  or berry crusher if you have one. Pour in 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the fruit through a jelly cloth or cheese cloth, let drain for a minimum of 2 hours, then measure out 5 cups of the juice. If you do not have enough juice boil some more water and pour gently over pulp, let drain. Reserve pulp for a simple sorbet (recipe below). You may keep pulp in the refrigerator for several days.

Pour the juice into a large saucepan. Turn heat to high, add sugar all at once. Stir constantly.When sugar is dissolved add Lemon Juice and Butter. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat; continue stirring constantly. Allow to boil for 5 minutes continuing to stir.

Remove from heat and skim off foam (if you have any) from the top. Ladle or pour into sterile 1/2 pint jars, filling to within 1/4 inch from the top. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth. Cover with new sterile lids and rings. Process covered in a bath of simmering water for 10 minutes.

Remove, let cool, check seal.  Store on cool, dark shelf for up to one year.

Simple Red Currant Sorbet


INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups Water

2 cups Sugar

4 cups Red Currant juice made with leftover pulp

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Vodka (makes a little less icy)


DIRECTIONS

Take the 4 cups of pulp you reserved from making jelly, place in the work bowl of a food processor, process until smooth, but not puréed.

Combine the water and sugar in a medium-sized pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add Lemon Juice . Turn down heat. Add pulp. Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes,  stirring gently. Remove heat, stir in Vodka let cool slightly.

Strain the fruit through a jelly cloth or cheese cloth, let drain for at least 2 hours.

Place the strained juice in a shallow pan; an 8" x 8" or 9"x 9" cake pan works well. Place the pan in the freezer. There is no need to cover it.

After 2 hours, stir it around, bringing the frozen edges into the center. Return to the freezer.

Sorbet should be ready to serve about 4 to 6 hours after you first put it into the freezer. Longer than that it will be difficult to scoop,but you can cover and keep in the freezer for a week or two.  Soften at room temperature for maybe 10 minutes before serving. Scoop into dishes and serve.

You may also follow this recipe using other fruit juices...try pineapple, lemon, mango or what have you.

SWEET PRESERVATION: Nectarine Jelly

As Sweet Preservation points out,  'A canning resurgence is sweeping the nation, as people everywhere bottle up the bounties of the season and celebrate an art that’s once again au courant.'

Canning and preserving are enjoying a strong rebirth, and in my book nothing really beats a traditional single fruit jelly.  Tried and true they should be a staple in your larder, not only because there really is nothing tastier than a sweet jelly on warm toast, but because they are also a wonderful base for so many other recipes, whether it be a sweet glaze on a tart or a cake, or a savory base for a meat dish or stew. That is why I chose to make a Nectarine Jelly with some of the bounty I received from the Washington State Fruit Commission.

While it is a bit of work to make the fruit juice required to create a colorfully translucent jelly, it is well worth the effort.To make good jelly, a proper ratio of fruit, pectin, acid and sugar is required; do not fret, it is not nearly as complicated as it sounds.

The fruit you choose to make into jelly provides the color and, obviously, flavor. It also furnishes some of the pectin and acid needed for a good set. So, an apple jelly will be golden, plum will be purplish, cherry red, peach peachy, and nectarines a mellow rosy-orange hue. Fruit used for jellies should be just barely ripe. Since they will be cut up, and/or mashed, fruits of all sizes and shapes can be used as long as you trim out the bad bits.

Pectin and sugar is the what causes the fruit to gel. Some fruits provide enough natural pectin, others require added pectin, especially when making jellies. Click here for an easy guide. Lemon juice is always a wise additive as it will help provide the acid also needed for a good gel.

When making jelly it is essential to whisk the powdered pectin into the fruit juice until it is completely incorporated, the pectin must be fully dissolved before adding the sugar. I always mix in the pectin when the juice is slightly warmed to facilitate its dissolving completely. Once the juice-pectin is completely blended it is brought to a hardy boil before the sugar is added. The sugar is always added all at once, which can be a bit scary your first few times, but have faith and just keep stirring.The sugar, too, must also be completely dissolved, or it can become granular as the jelly sits in the pantry. Not a complete disaster, crunchy jelly is, well, interesting and edible, but not really quite as satisfying.  Can you tell I've rushed a batch or two in my time?

Commercial pectins are made from apples or citrus fruit and are available in both the powdered and liquid forms. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions or tested recipes when using commercial pectin and remember, powdered and liquid forms of pectin are not interchangeable. When making this jelly you will use the powdered form.  

I make a homemade pectin which I use in jams and compotes,but using the homemade pectin can be a bit tricky. You need to be as fearless as Julia Child and not be tied to a uniform consistency, some jams will be thicker, some saucier, but I've found them all to be delicious.

There are modern pectin products available to use for making jellies with no added sugar or with less sugar than old-fashioned recipes. Specific recipes are included in the pectin packaging and if you follow them you'll become a jelly and jam making pro in no time, but if you'd like to try your hand at making your own pectin, click here to find out how.

I do use these new pectins when lowering the sugar or using honey in my jams because they will give you consistency and require less time, which I never seem to have enough of. There is no shame in not cooking a pot of jam down for hours and hours. 

This jelly recipe is the old fashioned kind, nectarine juice and sugar are the main ingredients, and it really takes two days to make, but the results are well worth the effort. On a cold winter morning the lovely fragrance of this Nectarine Jelly will start you off with sweet dreams of summery days to come. 

NECTARINE JELLY

INGREDIENTS

3 Cups Nectarine Juice ( 9 medium Nectarines)

1/2  Cup Lemon Juice

1 package powdered fruit Pectin

1 Cup Raw Sugar

4 Cups Granulated Sugar

1 teaspoon Butter

DIRECTIONS

This will really be a two day process as first you will need to make the juice.  You are going to need a jelly bag, cheesecloth, or my favorite, a chinois for separating the juice from the fruit.

On the morning of the first day, wash and quarter your nectarines, you don't need to separate out the pits, they will add some flavor and pectin to your jelly. Then half your quarters and place everything in a large bowl, toss with the Lemon Juice and sprinkle with the Raw Sugar. Now, I use the Raw Sugar for the flavor as well as a bit of depth for the color, but if you only have granulated sugar in the pantry, you can certainly use that instead.  

Let this mixture sit for the day while you go to work, wrestle with the kids, clean the house, whatever your other responsibilities are.  If it is very hot you will probably want to let this rest in the refrigerator, if you are making this during a cooler time of year you may leave covered on the counter.

At the end of the day transfer your bowl of fruit and juices to a stainless steel saucepan, add 1 and 1/2 cups of water  and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the fruit with a potato masher or the back of your ladle. Don't over cook as it reduces the strength of the natural pectin and will affect the flavor.  You just want the batch to be soft and juicy.

 

Transfer this mixture to your dampened jelly bag, a strainer lined with cheesecloth, or your chinois, set back over your large bowl and let the juice drip through over night. Do not squeeze the bag or press down the fruit as this will muddy your jelly.

The next day make sure your jars are cleaned and sterilized (you'll need 5 - 6 half pint jars) and your Hot Water Bath is ready to go.  To review your safe canning practices click here.

You should have 3 cups of nectarine juice. If for some reason you do not , boil a bit more water than what you need to make three cups and pour it over the fruit mixture letting it strain through to the bowl. 

Take your 3 cups of juice and put it back into the stainless steel saucepan.  Put the stove on medium heat and whisk in your box of pectin until it is completely dissolved. Add the teaspoon of butter and bring to a boil over high heat stirring constantly.  Add the 4 cups of granulated sugar all at once and return to a full roiling boil. Keep Stirring!

Once you return to that full boil keep it going for 1 minute longer, then remove from the heat. If you have any foam skim off, but the butter should help prevent this.

Pour the hot jelly into the hot jars leaving a 1/4 inch of headspace.  Wipe rims, screw on lids. Place in your Hot Water Bath, making sure your jars are completely covered with water.  Bring water bath to a boil and process for 10 minutes.  

Remove jars, cool, check your seal. Admire your handy work!

Store in a cool dark place for up to a year, if they last that long. 

ENJOY!

ROSE HIP JELLY







The fruit of the Rosa Rugosa resemble tiny tomatoes, and anyone who has been near the shore – for me Cape Cod, Block Island, Maine – you find them growing wild on the shifting dunes. The sweet, distinctly scented flowers are often used to make pot-pourri, but the hips, also called haws by some, are well-known for making tea, wine, or creating a jam or jelly.

Rose hips are legendary for being high in Vitamin C, and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind about the beneficial effects of vitamin C. In addition to C, rose hips also contain A, D, Iron and E - all wrapped up in the tart-sweet taste of these miniature fruits.



The hips have seeds on the inside that are covered with tiny-weenie hairs that can be itchy and irritating. However, when making jelly the seeds will get strained out in the jelly-making process, so, it is easiest just to trim off the top and bottom of the hip. Also, when making this jelly you definitely want to use a non-reactive pan, like enamel or stainless steel. Do not use aluminum or cast iron to cook the rosehips.



 ROSE HIP JELLY

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts Rose Hips (plus or minus)

½ Cup Lemon Juice



¼ teaspoon Butter

3 Cups Raw Sugar

¼ Cup Honey

Several Crab Apples or one large Green Apple

1 package Powdered Pectin (or Homemade Pectin)

Water

5 or 6 Eight-ounce canning jars and fresh lids

DIRECTIONS

Rinse the rose hips and apples thoroughly. Cut off the tops and bottoms of the rose hips and discard. Cut apples into small pieces leaving skin and seeds.

Place rose hips and apple in a large pot. Add enough water to cover. If fruit begins to float, temporarily cover with a dinner plate or something similar for water measurement. Remove the plate before cooking.



Bring hips to a boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes before reducing heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour (more or less), until rose hips are soft. Stir occasionally so they do not stick to your pot. It is fine to mash the hips against the side of the pan as you stir. I also use a food mill to grind the pulp once it is soft, or you can use a potato masher, or just squish everything up as best you can with the back of a flat spoon.

Set up a jelly bag, or a large very fine mesh strainer, or three layers of cheesecloth over a bowl or large pot. Transfer the rose hip, apples and liquid (or puree)  into the jelly bag/strainer/cheesecloth. Let strain into the bowl for a minimum of one hour . Do not squeeze the jelly bag or cheesecloth to get more remaining juice out, it will make your jelly cloudy.

Measure the juice. You will need 3 cups of juice for this recipe, so if you have less than 3 cups, add some boiling water to the jelly bag and allow more liquid to drain through.



Place 3 cups of the rose hip juice in a large, non-reactive pot. Add the honey, lemon juice, and pectin. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly dissolving all of the pectin. Add the sugar, also stirring constantly until dissolves, then add the butter.

Bring jelly to a rolling boil (one that you cannot reduce by stirring). The mixture will bubble up considerably. Boil for exactly one minute. Then remove from heat and pour off into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace from the rim.

Make sure rims are clean and sterilized tops are finger tight on the jars, then process in a Hot Water Bath for 10 minutes. Voila, a lovely bit of summer in a jar.  Enjoy!





Hot Water Bath or Pressure Canning

HOMEMADE PECTIN

Although life can be quite busy, leaving many of us little to no time  in the kitchen, a bit of pre-emptive planning and working in small batches make it possible for just about anyone to do canning of some sort.

Making jams or jellies is relatively easy. With all kinds of fresh fruits becoming available, it is a tasty way to begin your canning career.

There are two main factors involved in the making of jams and jellies, the concentration of sugar versus the concentration of pectin. Too much sugar or pectin in your recipe will produce an unappealing solid lump, which can still be tasty spread on warm toast or bagels, baked into cakes or pies, or used as glazes on meat or poultry.

Conversely, too little of either of these ingredients can result in a runny jar of syrup,  which still may be used to season vinaigrettes, for making smoothies, drizzling over ice cream, even as a base for fruit salads. So truly, do not be afraid to make a mistake, the final product can almost always be used in in some form of delicious advantage!

I often like to use honey in my jams and jellies, often adding little or no sugar, so I add pectin, but in general the chemistry of jelly making without pectin requires sugar.

There are many commercial pectins available, making jamming quick and easy. I have used them for years, as I learned from my mother, but  because homemade pectin is quite easy to make, and can actually add a dimension of flavor to your creations,  I opt for store bought pectin only when I run out of homemade.

Just remember, no matter what happens make the best of your batch and learn for the next round – like anything worthwhile it takes patience and practice to learn how to preserve your own jams and jellies, but I guarantee the results will be well worth your efforts.

 

HOMEMADE PECTIN


Homemade pectin can be made in the early summer if you have direct access to apple trees as I do, or in autumn when apples are in season.

You will need small, green, immature apples: wild crab apples are great for pectin, but any immature apple will do. You may use damaged apples - just cut away all the imperfections first.

If you do not have access to apple trees, purchase 6- 8 tart, green Granny Smith apples. You will also need 2 lemons chopped up, peel and seeds included. Rinds and seeds are where all the pectin is in lemons, the juice is not really necessary, but can be helpful if you are working with low acid fruits or vegetable. You can store lemon and lime skins and seeds in the freezer after they have been juiced for other dishes until you are ready to make pectin. I will often save skins from other citrus fruits for the same purpose - it is quite fun and interesting to mingle the flavor of the citrus with the other ingredients.

Wash the apples, trim the bad parts off and slice them very thinly, seeds, skins and all. Place them in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom (non-reactive) pan with the chopped up citrus bits. You need a total of 2 pounds per batch. Add 4 cups water.

Over high heat, bring the contents to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender (should have the consistency of apple sauce). Continue to stir occasionally so the fruit does not stick to the pan.

Remove from the heat and cool. Line a bowl large enough to hold liquid with dampened cheesecloth. Pour the pulp and juice into the cheesecloth. Gather the corners and tie in a knot. Carefully lift over bowl. Suspend from a cabinet knob or handle and allow to drip into a bowl overnight. Do not stir the liquid and do not squeeze the bag.

The next day, measure the juice and pour into a large pot. Discard cheesecloth and its contents. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat stirring contantly, move to low heat, cook until reduced by half.

The pectin should be canned in pint jars and processed in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes with 1/2 inch headspace. You can also freeze for future use.

Using Homemade Pectin

When using homemade pectin, you can’t follow the recipes that are found on the backs of commercially available jelling agents. With homemade pectin you will use equal amounts of pectin to low pectin fruits: 4 cups strawberries to 4 cups homemade pectin. Fruits that are low in pectin include: blueberries, cherries, peaches, raspberries, rhubarb and strawberries, follow the one to one formula.

High pectin fruits like apples, cranberries, quinces, currants, Concord grapes, and plums, cut the homemade pectin in half . Overall you will have to experiment a little, but that is half the fun.

Happy Jamming!

SHERRIED STRAWBERRY JAM

     What a lovely surprise – two quarts of strawberries hand-delivered by Paul’s parents, Gayle and Richard. They have a home in the bucolic town of Bethel, Delaware surrounded by farmland and they always bring us the season’s first offerings of strawberries, sweet corn, and melons.

     
      Of course, strawberries have been on my mind since gathering the season’s first stalks of rhubarb, and I already knew exactly what I was going to do with them – put by a small batch of Sherried Strawberry Jam.

   Turning fruits into jams is one of my favorite spring and summer time activities. Homemade jams and jellies not only make great gifts, but are fantastic bases for sauces and glazes, and of course, are perfect for slathering on top of bread or toast. The traditional way to make jams and jellies is to use LOTS of sugar, not only to add sweetness but also to help the fruits jell. The problem with this old-fashioned method is that you have to cook the fruit so long you cook much of the nutritional goodness right out of the batches ending up with a sugary syrup. Delicious, but...

     Over the years I have moved away from using sugar (although I will sometimes use small amounts of raw sugar) to sweetening my jams with honey, and experimented pairing other flavors with the fruits.  My favorite pairings are blueberries with ginger, and peaches with nutmeg, though raspberries and blackberries I do prefer the old-fashioned way. For strawberries I like the bouquet of a dry sherry.

     Sherry is a fortified wine that originated in the town of Jerez/Xérès (pronounced Sherish) in southern Spain. The term dry, when used with wine, refers to the absence of sugar. Without sugar to coat the mouth, masking the acid and tannins, your mouth will dry out. However, I've discovered coupled with  honey, the hint of dry sherry enhances the flavor of the strawberries without drying out your taste buds or overwhelming them with the syrupy sweetness of sugar .If you prefer you could substitute a sweeter sherry. Cream Sherry is an Oloroso sweetened with rich Pedro Ximenez grapes. Its aroma is round, crisp and velvety. An ideal dessert aperitif, this sherry blends deliciously with the strawberries. Make sure to omit the honey or you might find the sweetness overwhelming.     I also add a splash of Cider Vinegar and a dash of butter to this recipe. The vinegar enhances the flavors also acting as a natural preservative, while the butter helps keep the bubbling to a minimum when bringing the batch to a boil thereby minimizing the amount of air bubbles in the mixture. One of the most important tenets of pickling and preserving is keeping air in the canning jars to aid in preventing spoilage.

SHERRIED STRAWBERRY JAM

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts Strawberries - Hulled and cut into halves or quarters

2 Tablespoons Honey

1/4 Cup Sherry

2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar (optional)

2 teaspoons Butter (optional)

1.75 oz. No Sugar Needed Pectin

DIRECTIONS

Review "Processing Instructions" included with box of pectin. Make sure your hot water bath has already been brought to a boil, then reduce heat to medium before starting next step.

In a non-reactive saucepan large enough to comfortably hold strawberries, heat Sherry, Cider Vinegar, Honey, and Butter over medium heat, stirring to combine ingredients. 

Add washed, hulled, and cut strawberries to mixture. (Don't worry, they will release their juices and provide plenty of liquid) Bring to a full boil over high heat stirring constantly, adding pectin to mixture and stirring in as strawberries release their juice.  Once mixture has reached a full, rolling boil, continue to boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat.  The butter should have keep the mixture from foaming, but if there is some foam, skim off. Ladle into hot, sterilized canning jars to 1/4 inch of rim. Use funnel to keep edge of jars clean. Cap.  Process in hot water bath according to instructions.

As usual, this is a small batch recipe, you should end up with 2 - 3 quarts of jam (or 4 - 6 pints).  I recommend using the wide mouth jars.  If you end up with a jar that is not quite full, cap, let cool overnight ( no hot water bath required ) then place in the refrigerator for immediate use.  This jam will not be 'super sweet', like many of you may be used to.  If you would like a sweeter flavor switch the Dry Sherry to Sweet Sherry, omit the Cider Vinegar, and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Raw Sugar.

Fruits vary a great deal in their natural pectin content. In order to make fruit jams and jellies adding pectin is usually necessary. Raspberries and blueberries, for instance, are low in pectin, while apples, citrus fruits, cranberries, and currants are high. 


Fortunately if you don't know how to make your own, prepared pectin is readily available - it is completely natural, safe, and pectin is necessary for getting numbers of fruits to ‘jell’.  For this recipe you will need one package of the "No Sugar Needed Pectin" offered by the Ball Company.



Hot Water Bath or Pressure Canning ?