Red Currant Jelly

Written by
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Leda Meredith
Updated 03/05/21
Red currant jelly recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 14 hrs
Cook: 30 mins
Canning Time: 5 mins
Total: 14 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
102 Calories
0g Fat
26g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 102
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 15mg 77%
Calcium 13mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 104mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Red currants are a rare summer find. If you're lucky enough to have a bush at home, or your farmers' market carries these tiny and delicious berries when in season, try our recipe for a simple jelly and enjoy the sweet and tart flavor of this delicious fruit all year round. If the currants you find still have stems on, don't bother picking the fruit off as the stems themselves have pectin, which will further help the fruit to achieve a better gel. Plus, the stems add some tannins to the mix, which are the compounds at the root of the attractive astringent flavor in, for example, wine and coffee. If your currants are already picked, you'll still get a beautiful jelly.

Made with fruit, sugar, and water, this jelly doesn't need the addition of store-bought pectin, as the currants naturally possess a perfect combination of pectin and acidity, which ensures a good gel and texture without the need to add any stabilizer agent. The result is a delicious jelly with color as brilliant and bright as that of the fruit. We use measurements for a small-batch recipe as currants can be both difficult to find and expensive—unless you grow your own. But if you are blessed with an abundance of them, simply double the recipe.

This easy jelly is delicious serve alongside game, venison especially. But it pairs well with roast lamb, beef, and cornish hens. Use it on toast, scones, English muffins, or as an addition to your cheese plate. Before you start, make sure to have at hand jars that are suitable for sterilizing.

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Ingredients

Steps to Make It

Cook and Strain the Fruit

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for red currant jelly
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Wash the currants, and if the stems are on don't pick them. You'll get rid of stems and seeds later when you strain their juice.

    Wash the currants
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Place the washed currants in a nonreactive pot—no cast iron unless it is enameled, and no aluminum. Add the water.

    Place currants in a nonreactive pot
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the red currants have released all of their juice, about 20 minutes. While they are cooking, gently crush the fruit with a potato masher or the bottom of a wine bottle; this will help the fruit release the juice.

    Cook and stir currants
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Drain the red currants and their liquid overnight by pouring the mixture into either a dampened jelly bag or by lining a colander with butter muslin or several layers of cheesecloth. Pick your method and place a large bowl or pot underneath the bag or colander. Do not squeeze the jelly bag, muslin, or cheesecloth because that will result in a cloudy jelly.

    Drain red currants
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Sterilize the Jars

  1. Sterilize your canning jars.

    Sterilize canning jars
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Make and Can the Jelly

  1. Once strained, measure the red currant juice. You should have about 2 1/2 cups.

    Measure the red currant juice
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Pour the measured juice into a large, nonreactive pot and add an equal amount of sugar—for 2 1/2 cups of juice, add 2 1/2 cups of sugar.

    Currant juice in pot
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Bring the red currant juice and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches the gel point.

    Stir red currant juice
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. If the jelly is ready before the jars are sterilized, simply remove the jelly from the heat until the jars are ready. Reheat the jelly just back to a simmer before filling the jars.

    Remove red currant jelly from heat
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Ladle the hot, liquid jelly into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace.

    Ladle jelly into sterile jars
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Screw on canning lids.

    Screw on jar lids
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Keep in mind that the jelly will still be hot and liquid when it comes out of the boiling water bath. It will gel as it cools.

    Process canned red currant jelly in a boiling water bath
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Once cooled, the jelly is ready to be used. Enjoy!

    Red currant jelly
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

What to Use in Place of Currant Jelly?

Finding currant jelly is not always easy, as it's seasonal, but there are some brands that you can find online or in specialized stores. If you can't find currant jelly, concord grape jelly or apple jelly are good substitutes to use; simply add a dash of lemon juice for some tartness. Alternatively, make a low-sugar cranberry sauce and add lemon zest and lemon juice.

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