Making Blackcurrant jam, any tips?

juneg

Hi all,
I have made jam before but I've never made blackcurrant. ( The birds always beat me to it! )

Anyway I have a bumper crop this year and I am picking and freezing them each day.

Does anyone have any good tips for making blackcurrant jam?
I don't want to mess this up seeing as I have spent ages preparing the blackcurrants.

Many thanks

dee_mc

Don't go too mental with the lemon juice or it'll set too much.
Plenty of saucers in the freezer for setting tests and you'll be grand!

Lemsiper

Too much lemon juice? Just add some pectinase.

dee_mc

Lemsiper wrote: »

Too much lemon juice? Just add some pectinase.

Have you tried this? I can't find anything about using it for this purpose, I'm fascinated.

RosyLily

Keep a very close eye on it when it's nearing the end of cooking. I left blueberry jam on a bit too long and it went to nothing. Got barely half a jar. Devastated.....haven't been able to make it as nice since.:(

Meath08

Blackcurrants are high in pectin so shouldn't really need lemon juice or added pectin.

Markcheese

Does each berry need to be picked over/de stalked - individually - did red currant jam once took forever - wished I'd done jelly -

Meath08

Markcheese wrote: »

Does each berry need to be picked over/de stalked - individually - did red currant jam once took forever - wished I'd done jelly -

I've always done this, takes ages. Wish I knew of a short cut!

0lddog

What recipe will you be using ?

As Meath08 says, you shouldnt need pectin.

Congrats on the early crop, what region are you in ?

Markcheese

Gonna just do blackcurrant jelly next time and pass it through a sieve -
How so they do it industrially ? Can't imagine mr Chiver standing there all driving day -

katydid

Lemsiper wrote: »

Too much lemon juice? Just add some pectinase.

I have a load of blackcurrants too - going to make jam tomorrow. When I made it last year I didn't use pectin or anything; it set fine.

I swear by my jam thermometer.

katydid

0lddog wrote: »

What recipe will you be using ?

As Meath08 says, you shouldnt need pectin.

Congrats on the early crop, what region are you in ?

I've had a massive crop here in the South East. Both blackcurrant AND gooseberry

0lddog

katydid wrote: »

I've had a massive crop here in the South East. Both blackcurrant AND gooseberry

I'd say mine will be ready towards the end of the month, as usual.

Alun

I don't have any fruit bushes myself, but I have noticed that the fraughan bushes up in the hills seem to have some, albeit small, fruit on them already which is quite early. Should be a good season for them.

katydid

Alun wrote: »

I don't have any fruit bushes myself, but I have noticed that the fraughan bushes up in the hills seem to have some, albeit small, fruit on them already which is quite early. Should be a good season for them.

What are fruaghans?

Alun

katydid wrote: »

What are fruaghans?

Fraughan or Fraocháin is the Irish name for wild bilberries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilberry

katydid

Alun wrote: »

Fraughan or Fraocháin is the Irish name for wild bilberries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilberry

Ah right, thanks, never heard the name