Blackcurrant Jam, Camp Ration
Dried blackcurrants and sugar cooked down into a spoonable jam in one small pot.
- calories
- 330
- weight
- 3.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 103
- protein
- 2 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 17 min
- water
- 200 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Snack
- Dessert
- Canister stove
- Campfire coals
- Liquid fuel
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Backpacking
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Dried blackcurrants | 1 1/2 cups | about 5 oz; dried stands in for the fresh fruit |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 3/4 cup | the traditional version runs close to equal weight fruit and sugar |
| Lemon juice powder or citric acid | 1/2 tsp | keeps it tart and helps it set |
| Water | 200 ml | to rehydrate the fruit |
| Salt | a pinch |
Method
- Put the currants and 200 ml of water in the pot. Bring to a boil, then pull it off the heat and let it sit ten minutes so the fruit swells.
- Back on low heat, stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Keep stirring; sugar this concentrated scorches on a stove burner fast.
- Simmer and stir for eight to twelve minutes. The foam that rises can be skimmed off or stirred back in.
- Add the acid and salt at the end. Test by dripping some on a cold spoon or a rock in the shade. If it holds a bead instead of running, it is done.
- Cool it. It thickens a lot as the temperature drops, so stop earlier than you think.
The traditional version simmers fresh blackcurrants with roughly their own weight in sugar until the syrup sets. Fresh berries do not travel, so this uses dried ones and puts the water back at camp. You lose some of the fresh pectin, which is why the citric acid earns its place — it firms up the set and restores the sharpness that all that sugar buries.
The real risk on a stove is scorching. A pot of dissolving sugar has almost no water buffer once the fruit has taken its share, and a canister burner puts all its heat in one small circle. Keep the flame low and the spoon moving. Made hot and eaten within a day or two it needs no jar; if you want it to last the trip, it has to be sealed and it has to be sugary.
Packing
Currants, sugar, acid, and salt go in one bag together at home. Carry a small screw-top jar or a leakproof tub if you plan to keep it more than a day.
Variations
- Cut the sugar by a third and eat it the same evening over oats. It will not keep, but it is less cloying.
- Dried blueberries or tart cherries work the same way if currants are hard to find.
https://savoriurbane.com/dulceata-de-coacaze-negre-reteta-traditionala