Svartvinbärsgelé

Step 1: Put a saucer in the freezer. Rinse the 3 ⅓ lb blackcurrants and put them in a large pan with the 2 cups water.

Step 2: Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, then simmer for 15 minutes, crushing the berries with a potato masher, until they have all burst and the liquid is inky purple.

Step 3: Tip everything into a scalded jelly bag or a sieve lined with a double layer of damp muslin set over a bowl. Leave it to drip in a cool place for 3 hours or overnight. Do not squeeze.

Step 4: Wash four 250 ml jars and their lids in hot soapy water, rinse, and heat the jars in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes; simmer the lids in water for 5 minutes. Keep the jars hot.

Step 5: Measure the juice (you should have about 1 litre) and weigh out 850 g 1 ⅞ lb sugar per litre. Bring the juice to a boil in a wide, deep pan; it will foam up, so the pan should be no more than a third full.

Step 6: Add the sugar and stir over a medium heat until every crystal has dissolved, then turn the heat to high and boil hard without stirring for 5–8 minutes.

Step 7: Test the set: take the pan off the heat, drip a little onto the frozen saucer, wait 30 seconds and push it with a fingertip. If it wrinkles, or the thermometer reads 104–225°F, it is ready. If not, boil for 2 minutes more and test again.

Step 8: Skim off the foam with a metal spoon, then ladle the jelly into the hot jars, leaving 5 mm headspace. Wipe the rims clean and close.

Step 9: For cupboard storage, stand the jars on a rack in a deep pot, cover with 2–3 cm of hot water, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes (add 1 minute for every 300 m above sea level). Lift out and leave undisturbed for 24 hours to set; check the lids are pulled down.

Step 10: Sealed jars keep for a year in a cool, dark cupboard. Once opened, keep in the fridge for up to a month and always use a clean, dry spoon. Discard if mould appears, it fizzes or smells fermented, or the lid bulges.