Apple Currant Spread – Low Sugar with a Touch of Cinnamon
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I came up with this low sugar apple currant spread to use up this year’s bumper crop of currants. Since currants are quite tart, currant jelly uses a lot of sugar. Currant seeds are sizable, so I knew a regular jam wouldn’t be popular with my family. (Plus, currant jam is also loaded with sugar.)
Instead, I cooked up my currants and ran them through the chinois (food mill). This gave a mix of juice and a little bit of puree.
I cooked the currant juice/puree up with some applesauce (and cinnamon), but it was still very runny and tart. (Both currants and apples have natural pectin, but not quite enough in this case.) I added sugar for sweetening, and some Pomona’s low sugar pectin for thickening. Voila!
With a full half teaspoon of cinnamon, it tastes almost like a cinnamon red hot, so use less if you want more fruit flavor. Don’t forget to thoroughly mix your sugar and pectin, or the pectin is likely to clump.
For currant tips, see “Currants – Growing, Harvesting, and Uses“.
Low Sugar Apple Currant Spread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups applesauce
- 3 cups currant juice/puree
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons calcium water (included with Pomona’s Pectin)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pomona’s low sugar pectin
Directions
For currant puree/juice:
Clean currants, removing leaves and debris. Do not discard stems, which contain high amount of pectin. Rinse well. Place in a heavy bottom pot on low heat and cook until soft. Mash down with spoon or potato masher.
Place the mash in a heavy cheese cloth or flour sack towel to drain (squeeze to get maximum amount of juice), or run through a food strainer. Measure out 1 1/2 cups. If short on currants, you can substitute a little more applesauce.
Sterilize jars and prepare water bath canner. Prepare two piece lids.
Place currant juice and applesauce in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pot. Add cinnamon and calcium water. In a small bowl, mix together pectin and sugar. Bring fruit mixture to rolling boil. Add sugar/pectin mixture all at once, stirring until pectin is completely dissolved. Return to boil, boil one minute, remove from heat.
Pour spread into jars, leaving 1/4″ head space. Wipe rims and seat two piece lids. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. When time is finished, let rest for 2 minutes, then remove from canner. Allow to cool. Remove rings and check seals. Label and store in a cool, dry location out of direct light.
Makes around 6 cups.
More Jam and Jelly Recipes
You may also enjoy:
- Queen Anne’s Lace Jelly with Currants
- Easy Low Sugar Raspberry Jam
- Peach Jam Recipes – Peach Vanilla and Fuzzy Navel – Freezer Jam Option
Apple Currant Spread
Low Sugar Apple Currant Spread with a Touch of Cinnamon
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups applesauce
- 3 cups currant juice/puree
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons calcium water (included with Pomona’s Pectin)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pomona’s low sugar pectin
Instructions
For currant puree/juice:
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Clean currants, removing leaves and debris. Do not discard stems, which contain high amount of pectin. Rinse well. Place in a heavy bottom pot on low heat and cook until soft. Mash down with spoon or potato masher. Place in heavy cheese cloth or flour sack towel to drain (squeeze to get maximum amount of juice), or run through a food strainer. Measure out 1 1/2 cups. If short on currants, you can substitute a little more applesauce.
Sterilize jars and prepare water bath canner. Prepare two piece lids.
Place currant juice and applesauce in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pot. Add cinnamon and calcium water. In a small bowl, mix together pectin and sugar. Bring fruit mixture to rolling boil. Add sugar/pectin mixture all at once, stirring until pectin is completely dissolved. Return to boil, boil one minute, remove from heat.
Pour spread into jars, leaving 1/4″ head space. Wipe rims and seat two piece lids. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. When time is finished, let rest for 2 minutes, then remove from canner. Allow to cool. Remove rings and check seals. Label and store in a cool, dry location out of direct light.
