French Black Currant Jelly Recipe

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Black currant jelly is like black gold. Tangy, sweet deep flavors are preserved in this delightful berry jelly.

Prep Time45

Cook Time1 20

Course: Breakfast, DIY

Cuisine: French

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian

Calories: 4356kcal

1 Jam Pan (copper) or large stainless steel pan
1 Long Handle Wooden Cooking Spoon
2 Fine-Mesh Sieve or Cheesecloth 1 regular with larger holes and 1 fine-mesh or cheesecloth
1 Silicone Spatula To help you scrape out all the jelly from the pan
1 Stainless Steel Mesh Skimmer to remove foam (optional)
1 Candy Thermometer
5 8 oz Canning Jars or 230 ml
1 Soup Ladle To pour jelly into jars.
1 Wide Mouth Funnel Optional. Makes it easier to pour jelly into jar.
1 Wettex Absorbent Sponge To clean jars if you made a mess.
5 Jam Labels

Collect black currants or purchase them.
Wash them in clear water and add a dash of regular vinegar to kill small insects or to get rid of pesticides.
Remove all green parts, the stems, and leaves, and collect the clean berries to weigh.

Place clean berries with water into your jam pan.
3½ cups Water, 1.8 pounds Black Currants
Cook berries and bring to a rolling boil. The berries will pop, and the water will infuse with the berry juice.
Once the juice water is infused and the berries have popped, strain. Strain first with a normal strainer and take the juice the second time through a fine-mesh strainer.

Pour the infused black currant juice back into the jam pan and add all the sugar. Mix well to dissolve sugar.
2.2 pounds Sugar
Keep over a medium-high heat setting and cook down the jelly until it appears lightly translucent. This can take 20–30 minutes. Stir occasionally and skim foam.
The jelly will thicken but will remain liquid while it's still hot. Therefore, you will need to test the setting of your jelly to know if it's done cooking. Test by dropping some hot jelly on an ice-cold plate and moving around the drop of jelly. If it's running, you need to cook it down further; if it's not moving, your jelly is set. You can also test with a candy thermometer. The setting temperature is 105 Celsius/220 Fahrenheit
Once the jelly is set, pour it into clean sterilized jars. Fill up to the rim and close with a lid super tight. Turn the jar upside down to create a vacuum.
Turn back after a little while when the jars are not hot anymore, label with name and date. Store or use and enjoy your jelly.

1.8 pounds/800 grams is equal to about 5 cups of black currants. This is just an approximation, and I highly recommend that you weigh your fruits to get the quantity right.
2.2 pounds/1 kilo granulated sugar makes about 5 cups. I still highly recommend weighing your sugar to get the ratio right.