How to make redcurrant jelly: simple recipes

Every housewife must have a recipe for red currant jelly for the winter. And preferably more than one, because the sweet and sour red berry is very popular and grows in almost every summer cottage. You can’t eat a lot of fruits in their natural form. And what better way to process the surplus of a large harvest into useful products.

Benefits of red currant jelly

Everyone knows about the benefits of red currants, but it would still be worth repeating that this crop is also recognized as hypoallergenic.That is, it can be used by small children, pregnant or lactating women. But, of course, without fanaticism, since any useful product is good in moderation. Red currant jelly contains a large number of trace elements and minerals, and small children will prefer this delicacy to natural currants. The delicate consistency of the jelly has a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa. And even if everything is in order with your health, evening tea with bright and tasty jelly will make the evening even more cozy and homely.

How to make redcurrant jelly

Making red currant jelly at home is very simple. Even an inexperienced housewife can make this wonderful product. After all, the pulp of the red berry contains a large amount of natural gelling substance – pectin. The main condition for success is quality products. Before cooking, the fruits need to be sorted, debris and rotten fruits removed, and rinsed well. The basis of the jelly is juice, which is extracted by any available means. Kitchen devices will help with this. The most convenient is a juicer, thanks to which you can literally get pure juice at the touch of a button. The fruits are also crushed in a blender or meat grinder, and then rubbed through a fine sieve and squeezed through cheesecloth. For some recipes, you will have to blanch the fruits in a small amount of water, and after cooling, separate the juicy mass from the cake.

There are quite a lot of different recipes for making sweet and healthy dessert. Thanks to them, you can get a product of various textures - from slightly jellied to very thick. The household will decide which of these recipes you like best.

Redcurrant jelly with gelatin

This recipe for red currant jelly with gelatin is prepared quickly and requires minimal heat treatment, so the vitamins are preserved in the jelly. It will require:

  • 1 kg of red currants;
  • 500-700 g of sugar (depending on the type of crop and taste preferences);
  • 20 g instant gelatin;
  • 50-60 ml of water.

The cooking method is simple:

  1. First you need to fill the gelatin with water so that it has time to swell. Then place the container with gelatin in a water bath and dissolve it.
  2. Extract juice and pulp from washed and sorted currants. Pour into a saucepan with a wide bottom (in such a container the cooking process will go faster), add sugar there.
  3. Place on the fire and bring to a boil while constantly stirring. Turn the heat to low and pour in the gelatin in a thin stream, remembering to stir.
  4. Without bringing to a boil, keep the mixture on low heat for 2-3 minutes and pour into sterilized jars or jelly molds.
  5. The jars are closed with lids only after the jelly has cooled completely.
Important! Do not be upset if, after cooling, the red currants with gelatin remain liquid for the winter. It will take some time for the treat to thicken.

Redcurrant jelly with agar-agar

The usual and familiar gelatin can be successfully replaced with agar-agar. This natural seaweed extract will help turn red currant jelly into a denser substance, and the dessert will harden much faster. In addition, a vegetable thickener, unlike an animal one, can be boiled, cooled and heated again.

Important! Since agar-agar is of plant origin, it is perfect for vegetarians or fasting people.For those who are on a diet, agar-agar jelly is also suitable due to the low calorie content of the thickener.

To prepare this delicacy, the set of products is as follows:

  • 1 kg of ripe red currants;
  • 650 g sugar;
  • 8 g agar-agar;
  • 50 ml water.

Cooking process:

  1. Place the sorted and washed currants into a saucepan with a thick bottom, add granulated sugar, and mash with a potato masher.
  2. When the fruits release juice and the sugar begins to dissolve, turn on medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cook with constant stirring for 10 minutes.
  3. After this, cool the mass slightly and rub through a sieve, separating the berry puree from the seeds and cake.
  4. Dilute agar-agar in water and mix. Add fruit puree to it, mix again and turn on the heat. After boiling, cook over low heat for 5 minutes. The foam that forms during the cooking process must be skimmed off.
  5. Pour the hot dessert into sterilized jars, and after cooling, close the lid.

If you suddenly want to experiment with flavors and add a new ingredient, for example, orange, you can melt the jelly, add a new product to it, boil it and pour it into molds. Even after such a thermal procedure, the gelling properties of agar-agar will not become weaker.

Redcurrant jelly with pectin

The following recipe for thick red currant jelly contains another type of thickener - pectin. Yes, exactly the substance that is found in berries. It perfectly removes toxins and waste from the body, reduces cholesterol levels, promoting gentle cleansing of the body. By the way, pectin is considered the most popular thickener precisely because of its health benefits and ease of use.In addition, pectin can slightly increase the volume of the finished dessert, as it absorbs up to 20% of water. When paired with the acid contained in red currants, it hardens quickly.

The following ingredients are used for this recipe:

  • 500 g red currants;
  • 150 g granulated sugar;
  • half a glass of water;
  • 5 g pectin.

The cooking method is simple:

  1. Mix pectin with water, stir until the solution thickens.
  2. Combine the prepared berries with sugar, put the pan on the fire and boil for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Rub the slightly cooled mass through a fine sieve.
  4. Add pectin to the berry puree (the temperature should not fall below 50 °C), bring the mixture to a boil and cook over low heat with constant stirring for no more than 5 minutes.
  5. Pour into sterilized jars.
Important! When using pectin, you must follow the recommended proportions; if there is an excess of it, the jelly will lose transparency and begin to resemble marmalade. In addition, this thickener, like gelatin, cannot be digested.

Redcurrant jelly with zhelfix

Delicious currant jelly can be prepared from red currants according to a recipe that uses jellyfix as a thickener. Based on it, the dessert also hardens quickly. But zhelfix can be different, and this must be taken into account when using. The package of this substance always indicates the percentage of fruit and berry base and sugar. In the case of preparing redcurrant jelly, the proportions will be as follows:

  • “1:1” – for 1 kg of berry mass you should take 1 kg of sugar;
  • “2:1” – for 1 kg of red currant puree you will need 0.5 kg of sugar.

Required ingredients:

  • 1 kg of redcurrant berries;
  • 500 g sugar;
  • 250 g water;
  • 1 package of gelfix “2:1”.

The delicacy is easy to prepare.Add mixed with 2 tbsp to the berry puree. l. jellofix sugar and bring to a boil. Then add the remaining sugar and cook for about 3 minutes.

Redcurrant jelly recipes for the winter

In winter, red currant jelly is an excellent preventative against colds and a way to boost immunity. This vitamin dessert will always come in handy during the cold season also because it stores well.

A simple recipe for red currant jelly for the winter

Preparing red currant jelly for the winter using this simple recipe will not take much time. In addition, it turns out to be quite thick and moderately sweet. To prepare you need a minimum set of ingredients:

  • 1 kg of red currants;
  • 0.8 kg granulated sugar;
  • 50 ml water.

Preparation:

  1. Place clean fruits in a saucepan and sprinkle with sugar.
  2. When the berries release juice, add water and put the pan on the fire.
  3. After boiling, turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Rub the slightly cooled mass through a sieve, boil again and immediately pour into sterilized jars.

Thick redcurrant jelly

Thick currant jelly is a very popular delicacy, which, due to its consistency, can be used as an excellent addition to fresh cottage cheese, pancakes, cheesecakes, toast, and as a decoration for finished baked goods. How to prepare thick red currant jelly is shown in detail in the video:

Important! The skin of red currant fruit contains a lot of pectin. Therefore, the process of rubbing boiled berries through a sieve must be carried out very carefully.

Redcurrant jelly without sterilization

The good thing about natural redcurrant delicacy without sterilization is that it can be stored in the refrigerator during the winter. In addition, more vitamins are retained in a product that has not undergone heat treatment. According to this recipe, red currant jelly is prepared without gelatin or other thickeners. For 1 liter of juice, take 1 kg of sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved. After this, the mass is packaged in clean jars and placed in the refrigerator. Thanks to the gelling abilities of natural pectin, the mass becomes thick. Sugar serves as an excellent preservative.

Redcurrant jelly with orange

The unusual combination of orange and red currant will delight you in winter with a real explosion of taste and aroma. The product has a beautiful color and thick consistency. To prepare you need:

  1. Grind 1 kg of redcurrant fruits and 2 medium oranges (remove the seeds before doing this).
  2. Add 1 kg of sugar to the berry-citrus puree and bring to a boil over low heat.
  3. Stirring constantly, cook for about 20 minutes.
  4. Quickly pack into sterile jars and seal.
Important! To prevent the orange zest from becoming bitter, the citrus fruit is frozen in advance. Let it defrost slightly before cooking.

To give this jelly an oriental note, you can add a cinnamon stick, a little cloves and nutmeg. The spicy mixture must be tied in cheesecloth and dipped into the boiling mass, and removed before the end of cooking.

Redcurrant jelly with sprigs

The fruits of red currants are small, tender, and it is rarely possible to pick them from a branch without crushing them. The process is especially stressful if you have to sort through a whole basin this way. Therefore, many housewives are in no hurry to overload themselves with work. And they do it right.The harvest just needs to be cleared of sticks and leaves (it doesn’t matter if a few small leaves go unnoticed). You can blanch or boil the berries directly with the branches, because in the process of rubbing them through a sieve, all the pulp is perfectly separated from the juicy part.

Liquid redcurrant jelly

Yes, there are people who don't like thick jelly. Therefore, in order for the resulting red currant jelly to have a liquid consistency, no thickeners should be added to it. As a basis, you can take a simple recipe for red currant jelly with cooking, but the amount of water in it needs to be increased and the amount of sugar reduced slightly.

Redcurrant jelly with seeds

This recipe also reduces cooking time, since it involves only chopping the fruits, the process of separating the cake from the pulp is skipped. The jelly turns out thick and tasty, and small seeds are a small problem if the berry mass is thoroughly crushed in a blender. The proportions of ingredients are the same as in a simple recipe.

Redcurrant jelly with watermelon

Red currants go well with other berries and fruits. Watermelon will help add a touch of freshness to the sweet and sour fruit. Preparing this seemingly exotic delicacy is actually not difficult:

  1. Take 1 kg of redcurrant fruits and watermelon pulp (seedless).
  2. Sugar in a ratio of 1:1 to currants.
  3. Sprinkle the fruits with sugar, mash, add pieces of watermelon, mash again.
  4. Place on the stove, after boiling, reduce the heat to low and, with constant stirring, cook for 30-45 minutes.
  5. Rub the slightly cooled mass through a sieve and transfer to jars. Cover with lids after cooling completely.

How long does it take for redcurrant jelly to set?

The hardening time of the jelly is influenced by many factors. This includes the presence of a thickener, the temperature in the room where the jelly cools, the recipe composition, and even the variety of red currant - after all, some have more pectin, while others have less. As a rule, simple jelly completely hardens within 3-7 days. With agar-agar, thickening begins during the cooling process, when the temperature of the dessert has reached 45 ° C. Therefore, if the ratio of ingredients is correct, there is no need to worry, you just need to wait a little.

Why doesn't redcurrant jelly harden?

Sometimes it happens that red currant jelly does not thicken. This happens if the preparation technology is not followed, for example, when gelatin boiled together with berry puree. The product hardens poorly even if the proportions of the ingredients are not observed, for example, if the liquid content is more than it should be. Problems can also arise with expired or low-quality gelling ingredients - gelatin, gelatin, etc.

Why has redcurrant jelly darkened?

Usually the delicacy has a bright red color. But if you do not follow the cooking time, the overcooked product will have a dark color. The color also changes to darker if the jelly contains dark-colored berries, such as blueberries.

Calorie content

The calorie content of a product directly depends on the recipe. 100 g of simple redcurrant jelly contains about 220 kcal. The more sugar, the higher the calorie content of the product. Thickeners also have calorie content:

  • agar-agar – 16 kcal;
  • pectin – 52 kcal;
  • gelatin – 335 kcal.

Storing redcurrant jelly

The shelf life depends on the preparation technology.

  1. Heat treatment allows the product to be stored for almost 2 years.Sealed jars can be stored even at room temperature, but out of reach of sunlight.
  2. Jelly prepared raw is stored during the winter and only in the refrigerator - on the bottom shelf. The maximum shelf life of such a product is 1 year.

It is best to package the sweet dessert in small glass containers so that the started jar does not sit open for a long time.

Conclusion

A recipe for red currant jelly for the winter will not only help to please your family with a delicious treat during the cold season, but will also strengthen the immune system. Adding a variety of ingredients and cooking methods will satisfy any need. Those with a sweet tooth, those who fast, and those watching their weight will be happy. The only limitation for dessert is the amount eaten at one time. Don't forget that excess sugar leads to weight gain.

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