To give you all some insight on the process of making jelly, my mom wanted to contribute her insight and descriptions on making the delicious and precious currant jelly. It is very labor intensive and it is definitely something we all covet. So here is Bev!
"When we bought this old farm house in 1973 it came with 3 red currant bushes. Even if I picked every other day until they were gone, I only had enough for half of a recipe of red currant jelly. 7 pounds of currants is a lot of picking time. A couple of years ago a friend of Anne’s invited me to pick from her husband’s Grandmother’s garden on the west side of Cleveland. That was the first time in years that I had enough for a whole batch of currant jelly. The reds are usually made into jelly because the seeds are large in proportion to the berry. I just discovered black currants last year. They are a larger berry with much smaller seeds so they make a fabulous jam that includes the skins which are very high in pectin. This means you don’t have to add pectin to thicken the jam. The owner of the berry farm where we pick pointed out that black currants have four times the vitamin C as oranges, more anti-oxidants than blueberries or pomegranates and are rich in iron and potassium.
red currant bush black currant bush
I was crazy about the sweet/tartness long before I knew they were actually good for you. To make the grape jelly I use a juice extractor made in Finland which draws every bit of juice from the grapes using steam and a cone shaped pan. I don’t really understand how it works, but it is an amazing invention. Currants, on the other hand, require much more labor to get to the end product. Consider that each black current has a dried flower that has to be either snipped or removed with your thumb and forefinger before cooking. Let me just say that I spent 9 hours cleaning 16 pounds of black currants after spending 5 hours picking them. Then there is the time to sterilize the jars, mash, cook, test for doneness several times, ladle into jars, seal, and then process in a hot water bath. I love every minute of it.
Harvested red and black currant berries
Currants are a beautiful red color when cooking!
The process of heating the berries to the right temperature and then straining the liquid.
This year at the market we are offering three jams and jellies for sale. The grape jelly is very good...but the red currant jelly and black currant jam will knock your socks off. They are just sweet enough to soften the tartness of the berries. You taste the fruit, not the sugar. The red currant is a low sugar recipe which makes me feel better about consuming it. Even though the berries will be gone in a short while, we will be enjoying them all winter long."
The finished product ready to sell!
I hope that learning about the currant jelly is making your mouth water for that sweet and tart taste on your tongue. To be honest, I am surprised that my mom is willing to even sell the jelly because it is always something that is so cherished in our family that I didn't think she would want to part with it! So please, come to the market this weekend and see what it's all about!
In addition to our jellies, this weekend on Saturday, July 20th, we will be selling:
- green beans
- carrots
- arugula
- swiss chard
- beets (red & golden)
- basil
- dill stems with seeds
- cucumbers
- kale (tuscan & curly)
- parsley
- red cabbage
- flower arrangements
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