One of my absolute favourite preserved items lately has been the super intensely favoured dried blackcurrants.
These have the unique blackcurrant flavour but condensed down. We use them each year in baking now, they've become a store cupboard ingredient rather than using sultanas or raisins.
They take an age to dry though. Probably nearly two days in the dehydrator. The video above shows the process I went through. Cleaning them is often the hardest bit, but I discovered I could winnow them once dry, using an old bouncy castle fan I own. It worked well and blew out all the bits we didn't really want to store.
Do you dehydrate blackcurrants?
What's your favourite store cupboard ingredient you make yourself?
I was interested to hear that blackcurrants take at least two days. I've been trying to dehydrate blueberries but gave up after twenty four hours. They didn't get wasted though! I shall try again and leave them for longer. I use blueberries in my Christmas puds.
ReplyDeleteI think I could speed it up by pricking them all somehow. Something I might experiment with in the future.
DeleteWe only started in the last four years or so planting berries of various type to preserve but then gave up on those at our farm garden site and started again last fall behind our house. Your video has me wanting to look for some black currant plants.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of cupboard ingredients we preserve but our involve pressure canning. Tomatoes in all forms, pickles in many forms, fruits, etc. Although we do occasionally buy fresh fruits and vegetables from the grocery store, it has been twenty years or more since we have bought canned fruit or veggies.
Wow that's impressive! We still buy canned stuff - baked beans in particular!
DeleteBlackcurrants are a great crop, as are white currants. Gooseberries as well.
We make "Poormans pickles. Sliced onions in a bowl of vinegar.
ReplyDeleteSounds good!
DeleteBlack currants are an exotic fruit here. We have other berries. I have had the best luck with strawberries sliced thin. Blueberries were challenging.
ReplyDeleteThey are such a cottage garden staple here in the UK, I love the berries in a summers pudding as well (a great way to use up stale bread as well).
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