Does anyone have a foolproof blackcurrant jam recipe please?

Thanks!

Will have to dig mine out. We make jam in the microwave - only good for small quantities of fruit tho' (about 2 lb max). Blackcurrant is usually one of the easiest to 'set'. Will post the recipe later if no-one else has one.

Daisy

If you can find it, that would be great Daisy.  I like the sound of a microwave recipe!  Thanks!

Not sure how experienced you are at jam making - but will assume that you have made some before - if not you may need a few more explanations :)

You will need a very large bowl (pyrex) otherwise it will boil over. Put 1lb of washed and topped and tailed blackcurrants in it, add 3/4 pint of water and cook for at least 5 minutes on about 750w until they are soft (make sure that they are soft as they won't soften any more after adding the sugar). Add 1.5 lb of sugar. (If your bowl is pretty big you can double the quantities). Stir well. Now cook at full power for at least 12 minutes (jam should have been boiling well for several minutes) - now you must test for the setting point (you may know how to do this :) ). Get a saucer and put a small quantity (half of a teaspoonful) on it - tip the saucer up and see if the jam runs down the saucer - if it runs easily you will need to cook the jam for say another 5 minutes and then try again. What you are looking for is that the jam starts to 'skin' - ie form a skin that stops the jam running down the saucer - the jam is ready at this point. It is important to get this right, otherwise you will have runny jam :) When you are happy that it is ready - pot up in clean, warm jam-jars :)

As this is a microwave recipe you will have to judge some of the timings yourself, but we have never had a problem :)

Sorry if you are experienced and I have over-simplified. You can use the same recipe for other soft-fruits (raspberries and strawberries) but, for some reason, you don't need the water and you should use equal amounts of fruit to sugar

Daisy

Daisy by any chance do you have a recipe for raspberry jam please

Jean

The recipe is basically the same, but use equal quantities of fruit and sugar and don't use the water :) You will have to judge for yourself how long it needs - cook the fruit first until it is soft and then add the sugar. It must boil for about 12 minutes - but maybe test it a bit before that. We have found over the years that it varies with different microwaves and even some years it seems to set easier than others. As long as you make sure that it will set, you can't really go long :)

Daisy

thanks Daisy I should have paid attention to my mother at jam making time

Jean