The Well-Seasoned Cook: White Currant Elderflower Jelly

Guess what I found at the grocery store?  White currants!  So I did what I usually do and bought most of them.  I'm not a very good sharer.  And no, I had no idea what I was going to do with them.  I just knew that if I didn't get them, they wouldn't still be there when I went back.  (I was right by the way.  There weren't any left the next day.  I love being right.)  So I took those beautiful crystal globes and cooked them down with some floral liqueur.  All to make a delicate pink jelly.  The flavor is tart and sweet and completely unexpected from such unpresuming fruit.

White Currant Elderflower Jelly
Adapted from The Well-Seasoned Cook blog

4 (6-ounce) containers white currants, rinsed and plucked from their stems (about 4 cups currants)
1 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons powdered pectin
2 tablespoons elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germain

In a medium saucepan, bring currants and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Mash the currants with the back of a wooden spoon and simmer until fruit collapses. Remove from heat. Turn mixture into a large strainer placed over a large bowl. With a wooden spoon, press and rub fruit mixture through strainer to separate from the seed and peel solids. Discard solids.  You should have a little over 2 cups of juice.

In a clean saucepan, combine currant juice, sugar, pectin, and elderflower liqueur.  Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and let boil for one full minute.  Mixture will set almost immediately while still warm. Transfer to refrigerator to cool.

Makes approximately 6 (4-ounce) jars