Why it works: Sugar and currant 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 ↓
Confiture of Cherries
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fruit
In a stewpan, combine currants and raspberries over heat; stir and mash to extract juice, then strain through cheesecloth.
Remove stones and stems from cherries.
Cook the jam
In a preserving kettle, combine cherries, fruit juice, and sugar; stir frequently to prevent sticking.
Once boiling, skim the mixture and cook gently for one hour, stirring often.
Rest and store
Transfer to a large bowl and place in the sun for 8-10 hours or in a warm place for 24 hours.
Store in tumblers, covering with paper dipped in brandy or alcohol, and keep in a cool, dry place.
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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Sugar + curranttop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,256 recipes
Sugar and currant 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
- Provide the main fruit body and flavour of the jam.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jam and, with cooking, helps it thicken and keep.
- Currants
- Add natural pectin and tartness to help the jam set.
- Raspberries
- Add aroma and acidity alongside the cherries and currants.
The step that matters
Stirring while the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Sugar and fruit scorch easily on the bottom of a kettle, and burnt sugar gives a bitter taste. Frequent stirring spreads the heat evenly and prevents sticking.
“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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