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 ↓
Blackberry, Raspberry, Currant or Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the fruit
Put the fruit into a preserving kettle.
Boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring often and skimming off any scum.
Add sugar and finish
Add ¾ pound of sugar for every pound of fruit.
Boil for an additional 30 minutes, stirring continually.
Pour into small jars or jelly glasses.
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.
-
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
- Fruit
- Provides the main flavor, color, and natural pectin and acid that help the jam thicken and set.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness, helps the jam thicken and set, and helps preserve it by binding water.
The step that matters
Stirring during the final boil. Once the sugar is added, the mixture is thick and can scorch on the bottom of the kettle. Stirring continually keeps heat even and lets the jam reach the concentration needed to set.
“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.
You might also like
Red Currant Jelly65 recipes
Currant Ice Cream32 recipes
Currant Sherbet9 recipes
Currant and Raspberry Ice7 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.