Skip to content
FriendsPantry
Redcurrant jelly

Sweeteners & chocolate · Jams & jellies

Redcurrant jelly

A clear, ruby-red set preserve of redcurrant juice and sugar, served with lamb and game and used in sauces and glazes.

Also called: red currant jelly, redcurrant preserve

A kind of jam

1 recipe with it

Photo: Amanda Slater from Coventry, West Midlands, UK, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

What it is

A jelly made by cooking redcurrants, straining off the juice and boiling it with sugar until it sets clear, with no skins or seeds. It is a British larder staple, tart and less sweet than most jams thanks to the currants' acidity and high pectin.

How it’s used

  • Melted into Cumberland sauce
  • Stirred into gravy for roast lamb, venison or duck
  • Glaze for fruit tarts and baked ham
  • Served alongside roast lamb or game

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet-tart and fruity, sharper than strawberry or raspberry jam.
Texture
Firm, clear, wobbly jelly that melts smoothly when warmed.
Appearance
Translucent, bright ruby red.
When cooked
Melts quickly with a little liquid and sets again on cooling, which gives sauces body and gloss.
Sold as
paste
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Refrigerated. Unopened, keep in the cupboard; once opened, refrigerate and use within about 4 weeks.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
266 kcal
Protein
0.15 g
Carbohydrate
69.95 g
Fat
0.02 g
Fibre
1 g
Sugars
51.22 g

USDA FoodData Central: Jellies (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Lingonberry jam — 1:1 in sauces; sieve if you want it smooth.
  • Jam — Sieved raspberry or blackcurrant jam with a squeeze of lemon.

Related ingredients

Recipes with redcurrant jelly