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 ↓
Raspberry Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Make the jam
Mash the raspberries in a preserving kettle.
Add the white sugar and currant juice, mixing well.
Boil gently until the mixture jellies on a cold plate.
Jar and store
Pour into small jars and cover with brandied paper.
Tie a thick white paper over the jars.
Store in a dark, dry, and cool 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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
- Raspberries
- Provide the main fruit flavor, body and bulk of the jam.
- White sugar
- Sweetens the jam and, once boiled, helps it set into a gel.
- Currant juice
- Adds natural acidity and pectin that help the jam thicken and set.
The step that matters
Boil gently until the mixture jellies on a cold plate. Jam sets only once enough water evaporates and sugar and pectin reach the right concentration. Boiling too briefly leaves it runny, while overcooking can make it stiff or caramelised. Testing a spoonful on a cold plate shows when it is ready.
“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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