Ripe Currants, Currant bush,
After we finished picking in the prickly, red raspberry patch, my daughter and I were delighted to find that there were some currants ready for picking, too. We both spent time picking till the sun finally set.
Fresh-picked Currants
We got a good crop. Of course, I wish we could have gotten twice as many as we did. These thornless bushes made the harvest painless.
You will notice from the photo that several berries grow on a tender, green stem. I pick them stem and all. Once I get them in the house, I wash them and remove the stems.
Extracted Currant Juice
I mash the currants, add water to the berries, bring them to a boil and let it simmer 10 minutes. The juice is then strained through several layers of cheesecloth.
Processing Currant Jelly in Water Bath Canner
The pectin is added to the juice and brought to a boil. Sugar is added and the mixture is boiled again. The juice is skimmed to eliminate foam in the jelly. The jelly is ready to ladle into prepared mason jar and processed in the canner.
The Finished Product
When finished the jelly is cooled
Label Notes Item Name and Date
and labeled.
These jars of jelly will remind us of the delight of summer now and during the winter.
photo credits: Wenda Grabau
