Drying Blackcurrants: What You Need To Know
Drying blackcurrants is easy! You can use a dehydrator or oven to dry these tiny berries to extend their shelf life or use them in desserts, snacks, and drinks like this juniper berry tea!
Don’t be fooled by their size! These small berries are packed with flavor, and many people even find them too intense to eat fresh. Drying blackcurrants mellows out their natural tartness so you can enjoy snacking on handfulls of them or using them in various recipes.
While you can use the fresh berries to make black currant jams, sauces, syrups, and more, drying them preserves them for year-round enjoyment!
🖤 What Are Black Currants?
Black currants are tiny berries with a bold, tart flavor that you can forage during the summer months, as early as June and as late as August, depending on location. They’re native to Northern Europe and Asia, but you can find them growing in parts of the US like the Pacific Northwest and New England.
Blackcurrants are a popular ingredient in British cuisine, but they aren’t as widely used on this side of the pond, largely because their cultivation was illegal from 1911-1966. Despite the fact that this is no longer the case, these little berries still haven’t really caught on as much as in other parts of the world.
Benefits
- Because blackcurrants are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, they can help support the immune system, promote healthy skin, and help with the absorption of iron.
- In addition to the high Vitamin C content, blackcurrants are also rich in Vitamin A and anthocyanins which may improve eye health.
- Blackcurrants may also assist with digestive health, urinary infections, kidney stones, inflammation/joint support, brain health, heart health, liver health, and more!
- Check out this article from WebMD for more information.
Black Currants vs. Red Currants
Another member of the currant family is the redcurrant! Redcurrants, like blackcurrants, are very small and have a tart flavor, though they are generally a bit more mild. Because their flavor is less intense, fresh redcurrants typically make a better snack than fresh blackcurrants, which are better used in desserts, sauces, drinks, etc.
☀️ Why Dry Black Currants?
- Drying blackcurrants extends their shelf life so you can enjoy them year-round!
- You can use the info in this post to make dehydrated black currants to use in all kinds of recipes.
- Dried black currants make a great healthy snack on their own or as part of a trail mix!
- These little berries are loaded with nutrients, making them a great snack for hikers, bikers, runners, or anyone wanting to live a more healthy lifestyle.
🥣 What Equipment Do I Need?
You’ll either need a food dehydrator or a small sheet pan if using the oven. I recommend storing them in mason jars or mylar bags or using a vacuum sealer for long-term storage.
🫐 How To Dry Black Currants
Before you begin to dry them, submerge black currants in a bowl of cold water and soak for 5 minutes, allowing any debris to rise to the surface. Strain currants then spread them on a paper towel and gently pat them dry.
Dehydrator Instructions
Step 1: Arrange black currants in an even layer on dehydrator tray and cover with lid.
Step 2: Dehydrate at 135° F (57° C) for 9 hours or until blackcurrants are thoroughly dried.
Oven Instructions
Step 1: Place black currants in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Step 2: Set oven to 200° F (93° C) and bake until blackcurrants have dried thoroughly. I recommend checking after about 4 hours and adding more time as needed.
Pro Tip: Drying time may vary greatly, as all ovens are different! It could take as little as 4 hours, but it may take up to 12 hours at the longest. 6-8 hours seems to be about the average.
Note On Drying
If you don’t want your blackcurrants completely dried out like I made mine, you can use either of the same methods mentioned above, but reduce the drying time.
Drying them for a shorter period of time will result in a raisin-like texture which is better for snacking. As a rule of thumb, whether using a dehydrator or an oven, I would check on them after 4 hours and go from there.
You may want to store them in the refrigerator or in a vacuum-sealed bag to prevent mold growth.
☕️ Serving Suggestions
There are tons of ways to use dried black currants, but here are some ideas to get you started!
- Substitute them into any recipe that calls for raisins
- Steep them to make a hot or iced tea
- Mix these little superfoods into shakes and smoothies for added nutrients
- Use them in desserts that feature oranges or lemons, as they beautifully complement the flavor of black currants
- Sprinkle them into a salad
- Make your own granola or trail mix with them
- Stir them into your yogurt, oatmeal, porridge, or cereal
- Mix them into cookies or these yummy gluten free scones
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Back in 1911, the cultivation of black currants was banned in the United States because they were known carriers of “white pine blister rust” which was seen as a threat to the timber industry. While the federal ban was lifted in 1966, cultivation of blackcurrants is still restricted in some parts of the USA.
While it is technically possible to air dry blackcurrants, a specific environment is needed and if the air is too humid, you risk the formation of mold. Using an oven or dehydrator ensures that your blackcurrants are properly dried, and those methods take less time as well!
👩🏻🌾 Pro Tips
- You can remove the stems if you wish. Because I was planning to steep these in a tea, rather than eat them, I didn’t feel the need to. It is safe to eat them with the stems, so if the texture won’t bother you, it’s not necessary to spend all that time individually pulling out each stem.
- I recommend drying blackcurrants in small batches, as this will reduce drying time and better preserve the flavor of the berries.
- If your oven’s lowest setting is higher than 200° F (93° C), you can keep the oven door slightly cracked to help reduce the internal temperature.
- If you check the berries and determine that you want them dryer, I recommend checking back every 30-60 minutes.
- You can store your dried black currants in the freezer, just be aware that some moisture will return to them when defrosting.
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Drying Blackcurrants: What You Need To Know
Materials
- fresh blackcurrants
Instructions
Dehydrator Instructions
- Arrange black currants in an even layer on dehydrator tray and cover with lid.
- Dehydrate at 135° F (57° C) for 9 hours or until blackcurrants are thoroughly dried.
Oven Instructions
- Place black currants in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Set oven to 200° F (93° C) and bake until blackcurrants have dried thoroughly. I recommend checking after about 4 hours and adding more time as needed.
Notes
- Drying time may vary greatly, as all ovens are different! It could take as little as 4 hours, but it may take up to 12 hours at the longest. 6-8 hours seems to be about the average.
- You can remove the stems if you wish. Because I was planning to steep these in a tea, rather than eat them, I didn’t feel the need to. It is safe to eat them with the stems, so if the texture won’t bother you, it’s not necessary to spend all that time individually pulling out each stem.
- I recommend drying blackcurrants in small batches, as this will reduce drying time and better preserve the flavor of the berries.
- If your oven’s lowest setting is higher than 200° F (93° C), you can keep the oven door slightly cracked to help reduce the internal temperature.
- If you check the berries and determine that you want them dryer, I recommend checking back every 30-60 minutes.
- You can store your dried black currants in the freezer, just be aware that some moisture will return to them when defrosting.
