What Is Currant Jelly?

Currants at a farmer's market.

Currant jelly is a fruit preserve made from currants. It is used in both sweet and savory recipes. Red currant jelly is noted for its tartness and its vibrant, translucent red color.

Currants

Black and red currant jellies.

There are several varieties of currants---red, white and black---and the small, translucent berries grow on shrubs in clusters. Red currants are tart and used primarily in cooked recipes. White currants are an albino strain of red currants, and they are are less tart than red currants. Both red and white currants can be eaten raw and they can be used interchangeably in recipes. Black currants are the key ingredient in Crème de Cassis, and both its fruit and leaves have a strong aroma and are very bitter; black currants cannot be eaten raw.

History

The English word "currant" has been used to describe these small berries since the mid-16th Century. They were so named because they resembled Greek dried currants, which were actually tiny, seedless grapes.

Red Currant Jelly

The most common type of currant jelly is red currant, although black currant jelly is also commonly produced. Currants naturally have a high pectin content, which helps the jelly set without added gelatin or additives.

Recipe Substitutions

Currant jelly has an astringent, grape-like flavor, and if it is available, it should be used whenever it is specifically called for in a recipe. However, if currant jelly is not readily available, cooks can substitute another sweet-tart fruit jelly such as seedless raspberry, sour grape or apple jelly, and supplement them with a splash of lemon juice.

Jelly vs. Jam

Jelly refers to a sweetened, clear fruit preserve. Jelly is similar to jam, but jelly has been strained to remove fruit pulp and solids. If a recipe calls for currant jelly, then the smooth, firm texture of the jelly is preferable to jam. Use your best judgment as a chef to determine whether jam will be an appropriate substitute that won't end up compromising the texture of your dish.

References

• California Rare Fruit Growers
• The Cook's Thesaurus
• National Center for Home Food Preservation

Resources

• The Cook's Thesaurus