Can You Freeze Blackcurrants?: Blackcurrants have the most intense color and flavor of all currants, they are highly aromatic and have a delicious tart flavor. However, fresh currants are only available for a short time in the summer.
Blackcurrants are one of the easiest fruits to grow in your garden. This can mean that you have way more currants than you can ever really consume at one time. Don’t worry, though you can freeze these delicious summer berries. If you freeze blackcurrants properly, you will have lots to enjoy until your next harvest.
- Can You Freeze Blackcurrants?
- How To Freeze Blackcurrants?
- How Long Can I Freeze Blackcurrants?
- Do Blackcurrants Freeze Well?
- How To Defrost Blackcurrants Before Use?
- Can You Refreeze Blackcurrants?
- What Can You Do With Too Many Frozen Blackcurrants?
- Can You Freeze Redcurrants?
- How do you wash blackcurrants before freezing?
- Do you need to top and tail blackcurrants before freezing?
- Can you eat frozen blackcurrants?
- Do blackcurrants get mushy after freezing?
- Can blackcurrants be frozen?
Can You Freeze Blackcurrants?
Yes, you can freeze blackcurrants. Freezing them is a simple process: just spread the blackcurrants out on a baking tray, freeze for a few hours, then bag them up and store them in the freezer for the longer term. When frozen properly, the blackcurrants stay good for up to 6 months. Frozen blackcurrants will come in super handy at a later date should you want to rustle up some cakes, smoothies, jam, or pies.
Blackcurrants freeze well, but they can also be turned into dishes that can also be frozen as a whole. For example, both blackcurrant compote and blackcurrant cordial can be frozen successfully. However, if you’re feeling lazy or find yourself pushed for time, popping your fresh blackcurrants in the freezer in a ziplock bag might be enough. There will be more on how to freeze fresh blackcurrants later on in this article.
How Do You Freeze Blackcurrants?
An ‘open freeze method,’ will allow your blackcurrants to retain their original appearance, and this way they will thaw out much better. We’ve listed out step-by-step instructions that you can follow to freeze the blackcurrants properly:
Step 1: Spread Blackcurrants Out on Trays
Start by getting a couple of baking trays and lining them with parchment paper. Then, nicely spread out your fresh blackcurrants over the trays.
Step 2: Ensure They’re Spaced Out
You must ensure the blackcurrants are well spaced out so they do not touch each other. This will ensure that the blackcurrants freeze separately instead of in a single lump if you directly freeze them in a bag.
Steel 3: Flash Freeze
Place these baking trays in the freezer for a couple of hours. Try to keep them as flat as possible for about 2-3 hours in the freezer.
Step 4: Bag Up
Once you feel the covering of the blackcurrants has hardened, take them out of the freezer. Then transfer the blackcurrants into a plastic container or a Ziploc bag.
Step 5: Seal and Freeze
Make sure to seal the bag or the container tightly. Then just pop the blackcurrants bag into the freezer until you want to use them.
Pro Tip: the fresher blackcurrants you freeze, the longer they will last. Freezing black currants will make sure that you can retain the nutrients and freshness of the blackcurrants for a longer period of time.
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How Long Can You Freeze Black Currants?
When stored properly, the blackcurrants will retain their nutrients and remain yummy even after a couple of months. For the best experience, you should use the blackcurrants within 6 months of freezing them. Therefore, to keep track of time, you should label every sealed blackcurrant bag with the date.
Although frozen blackcurrants retain their flavor and nutrients for ten months, consuming them sooner rather than later reduces the chances of quality degradation. And as mentioned earlier, if you want to store your blackcurrants for long periods, consider freezing them when they are fresh. Now you may wonder how long blackcurrants last in the fridge. Well, blackcurrants will keep well in the fridge for between 3 and 4 days. After that, they will begin to soften and then turn incredibly sour.
| Blackcurrants | Shelf Life |
| In the fridge | 3 to 4 days |
| In the freezer | 6 months |
Do Blackcurrants Freeze Well?
Yes, black currants freeze very well. Just follow the simple steps mentioned above to prepare and freeze your currants to use in baking recipes or to make jelly later.
Blackcurrants do retain their nutrients and original flavor for a long time, if stored properly. Using frozen blackcurrants can even make jams and jellies during the cooler months when you don’t mind the stove being on all day. The lazy method might save you time and effort, but if you follow the proper method, it will leave you with blackcurrants that taste fresh and retain their original shape for a longer duration.
How To Defrost Blackcurrants Before Use?
Luckily, you won’t always need or want to defrost your blackcurrants before use, and this is fine. However, if the recipe does require them to be thawed first, then simply transfer them to the fridge and let them stay there overnight. Alternatively, if you need the blackcurrants quickly, you can thaw them in some tepid water, and this process only takes a few minutes. Then all you have to do next is drain and dry them, and they’re ready for any recipe.
Here are some tips for using frozen blackcurrants: don’t allow the fruit to completely thaw if you are serving frozen fruit as a dessert. If allowed to thaw completely, the blackcurrants will have a mushy texture, but if a few ice crystals remain, the texture will be much better.
To know more about the freezing process of fruit watermelon do visit our blog on Can You Freeze Watermelon and clear your queries.
Can You Refreeze Blackcurrants?
Yes, you can even refreeze the blackcurrants. Just make sure you refreeze the blackcurrants as soon as possible so that no bacteria or mold catches on. If you have kept your frozen blackcurrants out for a long time, instead of directly refreezing them, consider cooking them into a puree or compote to freeze them again!
What Can You Do With Too Many Frozen Blackcurrants?
Things to Do With All Those frozen Blackcurrants You Stored:
- Blackcurrant sorbet is delicious and easy to make; you just need a freezer!
- You can also try making an infused tincture using berries and making fruit-based cordials and liqueurs.
- Jelly is another fun and interesting way to add black currant goodness to your daily life.
- Black currants are great for baking, whether you start with fresh or dried black currants. Black currant shortbread, made from fresh black currants, can be a delicious addition to your cookie plate.
- Black currant jam might be the most thought-of preserve, and with the added texture of the fruit, it makes a tasty, slightly-tart preserve for the winter months.
- One of the interesting options is to try black currant curd on toast for breakfast and enjoy all the black currant benefits without having to do a lot of cooking or baking.
- Combine the tartness of black currants with the mild sweetness of apples for an apple and black currant crumble.
- You can make different blackcurrant recipes like blackcurrant compote, blackcurrant gin, oat crumble, blackcurrant cordial and so on.
FAQs On Freezing Blackcurrants
1. Can You Freeze Redcurrants?
Yes, just like blackcurrants, redcurrants can also be frozen for around 6 months. For this, freeze them on a baking tray initially. Then, when the fruit turns solid, you can tip the frozen redcurrants into a freezer bag to store for the longer term.
2. How do you wash blackcurrants before freezing?
Rinse the blackcurrants under cool water to remove any insects or debris. Then spread them on a dish towel to dry off for a few minutes. Give a few hours to de-stemming the fruits, or else you’ll end up with whole clusters of currants in freezer bags or containers.
3. Do you need to top and tail blackcurrants before freezing?
No, there’s no need to top and tail blackcurrants—that’s down to personal preference. To prepare your black and redcurrants for the freezer, simply give them a wash to remove any bugs or dirt that may be on them.
4. Can you eat frozen blackcurrants?
Of course, you can eat raw blackcurrants that have been frozen. However, we would recommend defrosting them if you’re using them for snacking. Blackcurrants also work great in baking and cooking straight from frozen.
5. Do blackcurrants get mushy after freezing?
Freezing blackcurrants does not affect the taste much. The blackcurrants will still taste like a berry however it does affect the texture. They might become mushy after freezing, as do all fruits. Thus, it is best to use this frozen fruit in baking, cooking, and smoothie recipes.
6. Can blackcurrants be frozen?
Yes, blackcurrants can be frozen. You can keep these frozen blackcurrants in the freezer for up to six months without freezer burn or notable flavor loss. If you mix the blackcurrants with one cup of sugar before freezing them, you can extend their preservation time to nine months in the freezer.
Wrapping Up
Most major supermarkets do sell bags of either blackcurrants or, more commonly, mixed frozen berries. You can buy blackcurrants directly from them. Or just follow our guidelines, and you can freeze the fresh blackcurrants in your personal fridge.
This way, you’ll have a better idea of the freezing duration, and the quality of frozen blackcurrants can be tracked. Drop us a comment below, sharing your experience with freezing blackcurrants. Keep following our website for the best articles like Can you Freeze Kiwi and others.