Why it works: Currant and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 26% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 12,256 recipes. The science ↓
Currant Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the currants thoroughly and remove any stems.
In a large pot, combine the currants and sugar.
Cook
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture boils.
Continue boiling for about 30 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency.
Jar
Pour the hot jam into sterilized jars and seal.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Currant + sugartop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,256 recipes
Currant and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,256 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Currants
- Provide natural pectin and acidity, which help the jam thicken and set as it cooks.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness, helps the jam set, and preserves it by binding water.
The step that matters
Boiling to the desired consistency. Jam sets when enough water evaporates and the sugar, pectin and acid reach the right concentration. Stopping too early leaves it runny, while boiling too long can scorch the sugar and dull the flavour.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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