Enjoying red currants: A nostalgic delicacy making a comeback

Admit it, when was the last time you ate red currants? As children, we ate them very often because when the season arrived, and the bushes in grandma's garden were covered with small, red dots, we could spend whole days devouring these sour berries (and, of course, another forgotten gem, the gooseberry). And today? Well, you know how it is today. Even such a distinctive taste can be forgotten, and we feel that if we don't do something about it, that's precisely what will happen soon.

Of course, red currants have not stopped tasting good to us. We rarely have the opportunity to eat them. Even if red currants appear at the farmer’s market, we go; we somehow skip them. And that’s what we want to address today: breaking this evil spell.

Returning to the habit of eating red currants is worthwhile because it’s very healthy. However, we can't expect to eat them as we did in the old days, straight off the bush, without moderation. So, we need to make some preserve. In our opinion, they are best in the form of jam. We need to remember to strain this product well. Thanks to this step, our jam will have a smooth consistency and be enjoyable to eat.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilogram (2 pounds) of red currants,
• 250 grams (9 ounces) of sugar,
• 1 tablespoon of pectin.

Instructions:

1. Wash the fruit in cold water and transfer it to a pot.
2. Sprinkle the red currants with sugar and start cooking on low heat. The fruit will take about 2 hours to break down and form a jam consistency.
3. If you want the jam to be smooth, strain it through a sieve. Of course, in this case, you must wait until it cools down.
4. Put the strained jam back into the pot and bring it to a boil. Add pectin (unless you’re happy with the consistency already), keep it on the heat for 2 minutes, and it’s ready.
5. Transfer the finished red currant jam to clean and sterilized jars—process for 40 minutes in boiling water. Good luck!