Unless they are eaten or otherwise processed, blackcurrants should be placed in the freezer immediately after harvesting. The small vitamin bombs are very sensitive if stored improperly and quickly become mushy or even mouldy. You should therefore only store them in the refrigerator for one day and then use them immediately. The chest freezer is ideal for longer storage.

Frozen blackcurrants are a tasty snack

Freeze black currants

When preparing the berries for the freezer, you should exercise a little care not to crush the tender berries. Proceed as follows:

  1. Harvest the berries as soon as they have turned a deep black color and yield slightly when pressed.
  2. If possible, snip off the entire panicles from the branch. In this way, the sensitive berries are not injured. Make sure you only pick berries that are in good condition. Dried up or already moldy specimens do not belong in the harvest basket.
  3. Then wash the panicles under running water. It is best to use a sieve so that the berries do not lie in the water.
  4. Then pluck the individual berries from the stems. Tip: Use a fork and carefully scrape the berries towards the end of the stem.
  5. Let the berries drain on a kitchen towel for some time. Too much moisture causes ice to form during the freezing process and the berries clump together.
  6. If the berries are well dried, they can be deep-frozen in suitable containers.

It is ideal to first freeze the blackcurrants on a tray and only then transfer them to containers. Each berry is frosted individually and nothing sticks together.
The berries stay fresh in the freezer for up to a year.

Process frozen black currants

When you thaw the black berries, their skin becomes soft and mushy. A lot of juice may come out. You can no longer cover a fruit base with these berries, but you can bake them in a batter or use them in a cream filling. Pancake batter is also a great basis for processing frozen black currants. Of course, they are still suitable for the preparation of jams, marmalades or a liqueur that you have prepared yourself

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden