Content
Red currant marmalade will become a favorite delicacy in the family. Its preparation does not take much time, and everything you need is in your home kitchen. The result is a dessert with a delicate texture, beautiful color and pleasant sweet and sour taste. You shouldn’t go to the store to buy a treat; it’s better to cook it yourself.
Beneficial properties of currant marmalade
In this case, the choice fell on the red currant variety not only because of its bright color. The fact is that it is rarely used in preparations due to the seeds and thick skin of the berries. Although it is inferior in vitamin composition to its black counterpart, it has many beneficial properties.
Here are just a few of them:
- The marmalade will be high in ascorbic acid, which strengthens the immune system and also has a positive effect on the circulatory system.
- Helps calm the nervous system.
- The iron included in the composition will raise hemoglobin to normal.
- The product is useful for people with high or low blood pressure.
- Red berries normalize intestinal function, removing toxins and waste from the body.
- Currants contain a lot of iodine, which is simply necessary for the thyroid gland.
- Red marmalade is useful for children for the full development of the skeleton.
But it is worth considering that you will have to cook using heat treatment, which reduces the beneficial properties in comparison with fresh berries.
Recipes for homemade redcurrant marmalade
There are 2 well-known ways to make homemade currant marmalade with red fruits. Only after testing can you understand which one is more suitable for the family. An important factor will be the availability of the necessary ingredients.
Currant marmalade with agar-agar
Agar-agar is often used to make marshmallows and marmalades. At home, all proportions should be strictly observed to obtain the desired consistency.
The product set will be like this:
- ripe red currants – 400 g;
- agar-agar – 1.5 tsp;
- sugar – 100 g.
Detailed marmalade recipe:
- The berries will first need to be sorted and washed.
- Dry a little on a towel and separate from the branches. If this is not done immediately, the currants will absorb excess moisture.
- Grind the fruits using an immersion blender, and grind the resulting mass through a fine sieve or colander covered with a piece of gauze. This way you will be able to get rid of the seeds and peel.
- Add granulated sugar and agar-agar to the red juice (you should get about 200 ml). Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes so that the powder swells a little and gains strength.
- Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula to prevent the mixture from burning. Cool.
- Prepare a container in which the marmalade will acquire its usual viscous consistency.These can be glass jars for long-term storage, small silicone molds or a deep baking tray covered with cling film.
- Pour the cooled mixture and send it to a cool place to settle.
- After hardening, turn the sheet over, release the piece from the film and cut it with a very thin knife, which can be heated a little for convenience.
Place red currant marmalades on parchment, dry, and then roll in sugar. Transfer to a clean container.
Currant marmalade with gelatin
Despite the fact that red currant fruits already contain pectin, which gels the mixture, it is still worth adding a special powder to the juice for a denser consistency.
Composition of marmalade:
- sugar – 150 g;
- red currant berry – 800 g;
- gelatin – 30 g.
Step by step guide:
- Prepare the currants by sorting and washing the berries.
- Next, there are 2 options for making juice. In the first case, the fruits are poured with a small amount of water and brought to a boil. It will be easier to grind them through a sieve, but additional heat treatment will destroy many vitamins. The composition will need to be boiled almost 2 times.
- The second involves obtaining juice from fresh currants. It will come in handy in this recipe.
- Dilute gelatin and granulated sugar in the red liquid, leave for half an hour, covering from insects and dust.
- Heat until all dry ingredients dissolve and strain to remove any lumps.
- Pour into molds, cool first at room temperature and then in the refrigerator.
- When the mass hardens, remove the pieces and dry on a wire rack or paper.
Roll well in coarse granulated sugar.
Calorie content
The energy value of red marmalade made from currants at home directly depends on the amount of granulated sugar. The more it is used, the higher the performance will be. On average, it is believed that 100 g of the finished product contains no more than 60 kcal.
Terms and conditions of storage
Homemade marmalade is prepared without preservatives, which are often used in production. Therefore, it is not so elastic and has a short shelf life. It is better to put the pieces in a container or pour the composition into sterilized glass jars. Be sure to seal tightly.
It is also necessary to maintain a low temperature regime, otherwise the marmalade will lose its shape. Small batches should be stored for up to 2 months. But under a tin lid in the refrigerator it will last 4 months.
Conclusion
Red currant marmalade can be made from frozen berries at home. It should be remembered that the pectin contained in fruits loses its properties during prolonged heat treatment. If this cannot be avoided, the amount of gelling dry ingredients should be increased. Even if it doesn’t work out the first time, the composition will not be spoiled and will be an excellent addition to baked goods.