My refrigerator died, which meant that I needed to somehow process its contents. I fermented, dehydrated and freeze-dried, as well as canned…good times! Anyway, I had some red currants that had been frozen, that were thawed and soupy, so I decided to try making fruit rollups with them using the dehydrator. I was never a huge fan of red currants, but let me tell you, the rollups have changed my opinion about them. I am already looking forward to next year’s crop, and I might just try using black currants, too. The sweet-tart balance was amazing, and I hadn’t added any sugar or sweetener. Pretty darned easy! I didn’t try to remove the seeds, and while they can be a little obnoxious in other things, they weren’t at all noticeable in the dehydrator fruit rollups. This will be an annual treat. The best part is that you don’t have to do them as they’re ripening, because freezing them helps break them down, so they can be stored until you’re ready. I have pink and white currants in another freezer; I think I might just pull them out and get some more rollups going!
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- Jam / Syrup
- Ferment the syrup into alcohol
- Use the syrup in ice cream (who wouldn’t want to try a black currant ice cream?)
- Use the berries directly in baked goods
- Dehydrate them (just be careful, some berries get bitter or hard if you dry them too long. Not sure about black currents)
- Freeze them and then later use them in a smoothie or other processed application
- fruit leather (you may need to add something to ensure it comes out well)
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Nice list! Thanks; I may be referring to it when the currants come back around!
I finally got around to starting the black currant mead, with Belgian Strong yeast. It now ferments in secondary & bubbles away. It might be ready to savor & report by next October.
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