Red in the kitchen

The dominant color in my kitchen this past weekend was bright fruity red.  Appropriate timing for the 4th of July holiday, my rose bush was bursting out with sweet blooms along the driveway, and the red currant bush was drooping under the weight of its berries.  When I was little, it was always my job to pick red currants for my dad's birthday when my mom would make one special jar just for him.  It was his favorite jam, and now it's mine too.  I'm finding every excuse imaginable for tea and toast and red currant jam.  

RED CURRANT JAM
I made up my own recipe this weekend because I only had a few quarts of berries.  However, I did find these basic cooking guidelines online at Celtnet, which proved very useful.  

Red Currants
Sugar
Water

Wash the redcurrants, removing and stalks and leaves. Place the fruit in a heavy-bottomed saucepan along with some water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, mashing the fruit against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon until the fruit is tender.

Add the sugar to the saucepan, heat through, stirring until completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook rapidly for about 15 minutes. Test for setting by placing a plate in the fridge. Spoon a little of the jam onto the plate, allow to cook then move it with your fingernail. If a crinkly skin forms then the jam is ready. If not continue boiling for 5 minutes more and test again.

Skim the surface then ladle into sterilized jars that have been warmed in an oven set to 100°C for 5 minutes. Allow 1cm of head space then secure the lid, allow to cool and store.