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 ↓
Currant Syrup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the juice
Strain the currant juice into a clean, dry earthen pitcher.
Let it stand in a cool place for 24 hours or longer until perfectly curdled.
Pour the juice gently into a fine sieve.
Let it drain without pressure.
Pass the juice through a jelly bag or closely-woven cloth.
Make the syrup
Weigh it, then add an equal amount of sugar, broken small.
Dissolve the sugar in the juice.
Transfer to a preserving pan.
Boil gently for 4 to 5 minutes, skimming off any scum.
Bottle and store
After 12 hours, pour the syrup into small dry bottles and cork them.
Store 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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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
- Currant juice
- Provides the main flavour and the tart, acidic character of the syrup.
- Good sugar
- Sweetens the tart juice and helps preserve the finished syrup.
The step that matters
Let the juice drain without pressure. Pressing the sieve forces fine solids through with the juice, which makes the strained liquid cloudy. Letting it drain by gravity keeps the juice clear, so the syrup stays bright and clean-looking.
“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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