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
Prepare
Gather raspberries in dry weather and use them as soon as possible.
Remove the stalks and place the raspberries in a preserving pan.
Cook the jam
Break the raspberries with a wooden spoon and boil for 45 minutes, stirring well.
Add the red-currant juice and sugar, then boil again for 30 minutes.
Skim the jam well after adding the sugar to ensure clarity.
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 flavour and the body of the jam as they break down.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and, once concentrated by boiling, helps the jam set and keep.
- Red-currant juice
- Adds tartness and acidity, which supports setting and balances the sweetness.
The step that matters
Boil again after adding the sugar and juice. Sugar must dissolve fully and the mixture must boil long enough to concentrate. Boiling too briefly leaves the jam runny, while the acid and fruit pectin work together to set it as it cools.
“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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