Blackcurrant Jam Recipe for Canning (2024)

Blackcurrant jam is one of those things that you just can’t find in stores. While you can argue whether or not canning is worth the time or effort, you can’t argue with the fact that if you want blackcurrant jam you likely have to make it yourself.

It is one of my favorite jams, and it’s a sad year when I don’t make time to put up a big batch.

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Our woodland homestead is shady and wooded, which is the perfect place for growing blackcurrants. If you don’t have them growing in your backyard, blackcurrants are popular at farmer’s markets and pick-your-owns.

They’re becoming more popular in the US with the rise of the local food movement because they’re an easy crop to bring to bear without spraying or tending.

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A single blackcurrant bush can produce many quarts of fruit. Here’s the harvest from one of ours. It’s well over 10 pounds of fruit.

Blackcurrant jam has a warm spicy flavor that’s unique to these deeply colored fruits. The fruits have enough pectin that they don’trequire any added pectin, but they will require a good bit of sugar to balance their astringency. For sweet fruits, I always reduce the sugar by half or more, but blackcurrants don’t make a good low sugar jam.

Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, be careful about reducing the sugar in a blackcurrant jam recipe. Start with 3/4 the amount it calls for and try it before you make a bitter batch of under-sweetened jam.

Most recipes say to simmer the blackcurrants with sugar for about 30-45 minutes, until the jam reaches 220 degrees F. I’ve tried using a thermometer, and cooking the jam all the way to 220 degrees results in a paste that’s so thick I can barely get the spoon into it. That batch was pretty well ruined, so I don’t follow that advice anymore.

Start by simmering the berries with the sugar. They’ll release their juices quickly, and you’ll have a pot of juice with floating berry skins in about 10 minutes.

After that, it’ll start to foam heavily. Watch it carefullyat this point because it has a tendency to boil over. Make sure the pot is no more than 2/3rds full and stir it down if it starts to rise.

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Blackcurrant jam beginning to foam in the pot. Watch it carefully at this stage, and stir frequently to prevent boil overs.

At about 20 to 30 minutes of cook time, the jam will stop foaming. The texture will visibly change and it’ll start to look a bit silky.

It’s still boiling, but the bubbles are big bubbles that grow large in the sugar syrup before popping. This is the jam just starting to form. Cook it just another minute or two more, and then load it into canning jars.

I’ve taken the temperature of the jam at this point, and it’s about 216 to 217. That’s way before the supposed “gel stage at 220” that most recipes call for. I kept wondering what others are doing here, and how they can possibly make it all the way to 220 without ruining their jam.

Then it dawns on me…altitude. When we can our maple syrup, the finish temperature is below what’s recommended for sea level because we’re at around 1,000 feet in elevation.

The boiling temperature of water decreases by about 1 degree F for every 500 feet of elevation, meaning that water boils at 210. With that in mind, my blackcurrant jam finish temperature should be around 218. That’s a lot more believable.

Since I’m finishing it at around 216 to 217, instead of my gel stage at 218 I assume others must like very thick blackcurrant jam. This jam came out quite thick, and if I take the temperature next time, I’ll be sure to finish it a bit earlier.

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Regardless of how thick you like your blackcurrant jam, be careful to check your elevation and adjust your finish temperature for altitude to avoid ruining a batch of jam. It takes a long time to pick these beauties, and it’s a shame to ruin even a pint, let alone a whole batch.

This blackcurrant jamcan be made with simply the fruit and sugar, but I like the flavor when I add a bit of lemon juice. The lemonjuice is optional, and it’s not necessary for safe canning.

So the real question, does it get the toddler seal of approval? To be fair, my little one likes tart fruit, and she’ll eat the blackcurrants right off the bush.

Still, she ate it right up saying, “It tastes just like strawberry jam, but sour, and that’s really good.” I’m not sure that’s the best description, but it’s hard enough for an adult to accurately describe the flavor of a blackcurrant, so I’ll cut this 3-year old a bit of slack.

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Yield: Makes 8 half pint jars

This recipe makes a simple blackcurrant jam that's just sweet enough and plays up the spicy flavor of the blackcurrants. One batch yields 8 half-pint jars, but can easily be divided in half.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs blackcurrants, stems removed, roughly 9 cups
  • 2.5 lbs sugar, roughly 5 cups
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice, optional

Instructions

  1. Add the blackcurrants to a thick-bottomed pot and simmer on low for about 10 minutes until they begin to release their juice.
  2. Add sugar and lemon juice (if using). Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent boiling over. It will foam heavily, make sure the pot is no more than 2/3rds full when you start.
  3. When the jam stops foaming and begins to thicken, cook for another few minutes before pouring into canning jars. If you're using a thermometer, the jam should be roughly 218 to 220 degrees F at sea level. Be sure to adjust for altitude! See note above.
  4. Load into half-pint canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Attach 2 part lids and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Or, alternatively, store in the refrigerator and use within a month or two.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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Related

Blackcurrant Jam Recipe for Canning (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to top and tail blackcurrants to make jam? ›

First of all, I remove the leaves and any insects crawling about in the bowl. Then I pick the currants off any stems. After that, I go through and pinch off the stem from any berries that have a lot of stem attached. I don't top and tail them as it would take far too long and isn't necessary.

How much pectin is in blackcurrants? ›

Sugar, acid and pectin content of selected fruits
%sugarpectin level
Apple13medium
Apricot9low
Blackberry8medium
Blackcurrant10high
26 more rows
Jun 6, 2015

How do you preserve blackcurrants? ›

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and arrange the berries on top in a single layer. Freeze until the berries are solid. Tip the frozen berries into a freezer bag and expel any excess air. Close and label with the date and weight, then return to the freezer.

How big does a black currant bush get? ›

Black currant bushes are more vigorous than red currants. They are fuller and more upright with straighter branches, and grow to 5-6 feet tall and wide. The leaves are bigger and the branches provide more interest in the winter because the red buds are bigger.

Why is my blackcurrant jam too thick? ›

So if you use pieces of fruit or whole berries, you are actually using less fruit than if it were mashed, or cooked to a mash and then measured, and you will get a firmer jell. Or you may have used more pectin than the recipe called for. For example, if you used Tablespoons of pectin rather than teaspoons.

What do you do if blackcurrant jam doesn't set? ›

Add pectin.

While this trick won't work for jam recipes that already call for pectin, adding pectin to a loose batch of jam while re-cooking it almost guarantees that the jam with set back up nicely. Whisk a tablespoon of powdered pectin (preferably the no-sugar-needed variety) into the pot of cooking jam.

How do you thicken blackcurrant jam? ›

If the fruit you are using has low pectin levels, then you can add some more pectin and reboil the jam. Pectin is available in both powdered and liquid forms. Read the instructions on the packet to give quantities, add all the jam to a saucepan and stir in the pectin.

Can you use too much pectin? ›

You will need approximately half the amount of pectin that is indicated by your recipe. Please be careful when adding pectin as too much will leave you with a set that is too solid and it is not possible to rectify this so always add less than you think is necessary and test the set and then add more if required.

Is too much black currant bad for you? ›

Are there side effects? Both blackcurrant berries and seed oil are considered safe at recommended doses. However, the supplements have been known to cause some side effects such as soft stools, mild diarrhea, and intestinal gas.

Why don t shops sell blackcurrants? ›

Blackcurrants only grow in cool climates like Northern Europe; you may find it hard to buy them where you live.

Can you eat raw blackcurrants? ›

Keep in mind that, once picked, black currants can go bad quickly. You can slow the process by storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. While black currants have a strong taste, they're delicious to eat raw when they're ripe. You can also use them in a variety of recipes.

Can you eat blackcurrants straight from the bush? ›

Blackcurrants aren't usually sweet enough to eat straight from the bush, but you can boil them up with sugar to make a delicious coulis for ice cream or Greek yoghurt.

What is the lifespan of a blackcurrant bush? ›

Blackcurrant shrubs are fast-growing and may begin to give fruit in the first 3 years after planting. At maturity, the shrub measures up to 1.8m (6 feet) in height, with a spread of 1.5 metres (5 feet). Its lifespan is generally between 15 and 20 years.

How deep are blackcurrant roots? ›

Plant blackcurrants in a hole at least 1.5 times the size of the root ball. The root ball should be about 5cm below the surface.

Do you have to top and tail redcurrants? ›

Lightly pick over the redcurrants, removing any leaves and fibrous stalks— no need to top and tail them or strip them off their stalks.

Do you need two black currant plants? ›

POLLINATION. Some black currants are not self-fertile and require another black currant as a pollenizer to produce fruit. Red, white, and pink currants are self-fertile, so do not require a different variety as a pollenizer to produce fruit.

Do blackcurrants need staking? ›

Currant bushes need support on which to grow. Tie them to a wire or similar trellis, 80-100cm high. This also makes harvesting easier. Currants can also be tied to stakes or supported along a fence or wall.

Why does my fruit float to the top when making jam? ›

Fruit floating to the top is perfectly safe, and is due to a density difference between the liquid and fruit pieces. To prevent the separation use ripe fruit, and crush the berries into small pieces. Make sure to not overcook the fruit.

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