Black currant jam is one of my favorite things, so when some friends’ currant bushes were going unpicked, I swooped in. This recipe is about as old-fashioned purist as it gets. No pectin, no starch, no thickening agents. Just fruit and sugar.

Ingredients

• 8 cups Black Currants
• 3 cups Sugar
• 4 teaspoons Lemon Juice

(Makes 5 1/2 cups)

All right, I cheated and threw in some red and champagne currants in this photo, too.

Wash and stem your currants. (I left mine in a salad spinner to soak for a few hours before giving a thorough scrubbing.)

Next, dump your currants in a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove for about 20 minutes, until all the fruit has broken down.

Add your sugar and lemon juice and bring to a roaring boil, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. (I use 3 cups of sugar because I prefer my jams on the tarter side, but feel free to add more to taste.) It’s during this step that your currant mash takes on more of a jammy consistency.

To see if your jam is finished, scoop out a little with a metal spoon and let it cool.

Once everything’s finished and to your liking, you can either can it in a hot-water bath, or take the lazy route like I do, and freeze it in jars. (Just be sure to give yourself an inch or two (2-4 cm) of head space since ice expands.)

Enjoy!