Alaskan Wild Currant Jelly

 Wild Alaskan Currants. I get so excited when I see these gorgeous red berries glistening in the forest! It means berry picking time!

Due to their tartness right off the bush, they are not as popular as the raspberries, salmon berries or blueberries. But once turned into jelly, they yield a very versatile topping for anything from classic PBJ to roasted turkey.

 I can't always get enough berries to make as much jelly as I want. (I make enough for the whole year). So I pick all the time - and I mean, all the time. My children will confirm that I often pull over the car to climb down a cliff because I see a berry patch.

What I do is, as I pick I put bags of berries in the freezer. When I have enough, I pull them all out, thaw and make magic! 

Like I said in my Dandelion Jelly post. Don't be intimidated about making jelly. It is not rocket science - and YOU CAN do it!

20 cups of currants make about 9 cups of jelly.  (If you only have 10 cups of berries divide by half, 5 cups divide by 4).

What you Need:

Approximately 20 cups of berries (6 1/2 cups berry juice)

One box of Regular Pectin Powder (1.75 oz)

1/2 teaspoon butter

7 cups of sugar

1. Put your berries in a big soup pot. If you have 20 cups of berries add 1 and 1/2 cups water. 
2. You want to smash the juice out of the berries.
   
3. While it is still cold, I use my hands to pop the berries, as it warms I switch to a masher.
4.  Bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
   

Once smashed and boiled, carefully pour into a straining bag (jelly bag, layered cheese cloth, or even an old [but clean] t-shirt).

You will need to squeeze a lot to get all the juice out. (I have tied the bag to my pot rack and let it hang over night.)

1. Once you have approximately 6 and 1/2 cups of juice, pour it into a LARGE soup/stock pot. 
2. Pre-measure 7 cups of sugar and set aside.
   
3. Add one package of regular fruit pectin powder (1.75 ounce box). 
4. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter.
5. Bring to a full rolling boil. Stir constantly.
   
6. Once boiling, add the sugar (7 cups).

Return to a boil.

Boil for 1-2 minutes. (Cook less for a runny jelly/syrup, cook longer for a harder jelly.)

At the 1 minute mark, you can test the done-ness of your jelly by dipping a spoon in the jelly, let a bit sit in the spoon, and stick it in the freezer for 30ish seconds. If it is jelly, then you're good. If it is still runny, let it boil for a bit longer.

 When it is done cooking, carefully ladle your jelly into clean, dry jars or any container if you are not sealing and storing for later. Non-sealed containers need to be kept in the refrigerator.

*Safety Note: If you want to shelf store jelly for later use, it needs to be properly sealed in a water bath or pressure cooker.

* Glass jars and rings can (and should be) re-used. They must be sanitized before re-using. If sealing, a new lid should be used each time. If the rings get rusty, it is time to get new ones.

 Enjoy! PBJ's, toast, bagels, crackers, turkey - you name it!