Whether you’ve got red, white, or black currants growing in your backyard, you’re in luck—all of them are perfect for preserving! You can can the berries whole, whip up some fresh juice, or make a classic jelly. Here’s how to get the most out of your harvest.
Harvesting Your Berries
When it comes to currants, patience is a virtue. If you pick them too early, they’ll leave you with a sour taste and that weird “fuzzy” feeling on your tongue. Make sure they are fully ripe before you start. Black currants are the most popular for processing because they keep that lovely tart edge even when they’re perfectly ripe.
Pro tip: Pick your berries on a sunny day and get to work right away. If you’re in a pinch, you can keep unwashed berries in the fridge for a day or two, but fresh is always best!
Cleaning the Berries
First things first: give those currants a good rinse. They often have a little dust or dirt on them that washes off easily. Only after they’re clean should you start stripping the berries from the stems (the “strigs”).
While you’re at it, keep an eye out for any stragglers. Toss out any green berries, shriveled ones, or anything that looks like a bird got to it first!
Canning Whole Berries
Currant compote is a fantastic, sweet-yet-tart dessert on its own, but it’s absolutely killer over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To make it, pack your washed berries into jars and pour a simple sugar-water syrup over them. You can process them in a dedicated water bath canner, but if you don’t have one, a large pot or even your oven will do the trick.
Juice and Syrup
If you’re not a fan of the tiny seeds, making juice or syrup is the way to go. It’s super easy to do right on your stovetop. Put your washed berries in a pot with a little water (aim for about 1/3 the amount of water to berries). Heat them gently over low flame and let them simmer until the skins pop. After that, just strain the mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
You can can the juice as-is, or turn it into a syrup. The best part about syrup? The high sugar content acts as a natural preservative, so you don’t necessarily have to re-sterilize the bottles after filling. Just mix about 2.5 cups (600g) of sugar per quart (liter) of juice, bring it to a boil, and pour it hot into your bottles.
Jelly and Jam
If you’ve already made syrup, you’re just one step away from jelly! Just add pectin (or jam sugar) according to the package instructions, give it a quick boil, and jar it while it’s hot.
Prefer a more rustic jam? Boil the whole berries with a splash of water and your pectin. Make sure it reaches a rolling boil so the pectin sets properly, then ladle that fruity goodness into your jars while it’s still steaming hot.