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 ↓
Four Fruit Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Make the preserve
Combine 1 pound cherries, 1 pound currants, 1 pound strawberries, and 1 pound raspberries with 4 pounds loaf sugar in a pot.
Place the pot over a quick fire.
Boil steadily until the sugar melts, the fruit dissolves, and the preserve rises to the surface.
Remove the pot from the fire.
Strain and pot
Strain the mixture through a sieve.
Pour into glasses and cover when cold, or pour into pint cans and seal while hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry | 1 cup (138g) | 87 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Strawberry | 1 cup (152g) | 49 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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. See the original page.
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
- Cherries
- Contribute fruit flavour and body as they break down during boiling.
- Currants
- Add tart acidity and fruit flavour, and help the preserve set.
- Strawberries
- Add fruity aroma and sweetness while softening into the mixture.
- Loaf sugar
- Sweetens the preserve and, with heat, helps it thicken and set.
The step that matters
Boil steadily until the preserve rises. The sugar must fully dissolve and the mixture must reach a thick, set consistency. Under-boiling leaves the preserve runny and prone to spoiling, while overboiling can darken the colour and make the flavour harsh.
“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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