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 ↓
Gooseberry Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Gather the gooseberries in dry weather.
Remove stems and wash the gooseberries.
Cook
In a large pot, combine gooseberries, red currant juice, and loaf sugar.
Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Increase heat and boil until the mixture thickens.
Jar
Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
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
- Gooseberries
- Provide the main fruit body, flavor and natural pectin for the jam's set.
- Red-currant juice
- Adds tartness and extra pectin, helping the jam thicken.
- Loaf sugar
- Sweetens the jam and, as it dissolves and concentrates, helps preserve it and set it.
The step that matters
Boil until the mixture thickens. Jam sets when enough water evaporates and pectin and sugar reach a gel point. Undercooking leaves it runny, while overcooking can scorch the sugar or make it too stiff.
“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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