Comments on: What to do with currants?

Question: What to do with currants?

arianell — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 22:27:04 -0800

I just bought a package of red currants at the grocery store. Help me figure out what to do with them!

The part of my brain that is attracted to shiny things (and particularly, shiny RED things) just demanded that I purchase 5.6 ounces of fresh red currants. They are very pretty, and they taste nice, but they're a bit too bland/sour to eat on their own.

Sadly, most of the red currant recipes I'm finding use them as part of a jelly, a sauce for a meat dish, or garnish for a dessert. I have no interest in making jelly, I'm a vegetarian, and I'd like to actually EAT them instead of just sticking them on top of something.

How can I put these lovely fruits to good use?

By: cobaltnine

cobaltnine — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 22:45:05 -0800

I think scones are somewhat traditional. I use the King Arthur basic recipe for all my scones, but there are plenty of perfectly good ones out there. (Those which call for buttermilk generally turn out well.)

By: evariste

evariste — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 22:45:34 -0800

Scones! Here's a proven recipe from Steve H. Substitute something else for the lard in order to stay vegetarian, I guess...

By: evariste

evariste — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 23:05:09 -0800

note to self: become faster typist

By: gimonca

gimonca — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:16:30 -0800

This is the currant you put in scones.

This is the currant referred to in the question.

They are different, but can both be part of a healthy diet. (Cue "The More You Know" jingle.)

By: gimonca

gimonca — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:19:58 -0800

Oh, and since you're being difficult and discarding the top three choices for using red currants, I'd go with a fruit soup.

If you feel really experimental, you could try sealing them in a jar of vodka for a month or so and making a liqueur or ratafia with them.

By: joshers13

joshers13 — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:11:09 -0800

Why not make a sauce for a tofu dish? Or something to that effect.

By: annathea

annathea — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:26:47 -0800

Buy a half pint of whipping cream, shake it up enthusiastically, and pour over the currants. Eat for breakfast to feel really decadent. You can sweeten the cream with honey or sugar to taste, but it's good unsweetened as well.

By: kepano

kepano — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:34:22 -0800

You could dry them in a cool oven (150F for a few hours) and put them in your morning bowl of granola.

By: elendil71

elendil71 — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:42:46 -0800

Add the currents and some walnuts to some wild rice for a yummy side (or main) dish.

By: elendil71

elendil71 — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:44:54 -0800

Whoops, "currants" - damn my poor spelling...

By: desuetude

desuetude — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 09:04:11 -0800

They're great in fruit salad with that little burst of tart juice. And I think you could bake them into muffins or quickbreads (look for recipes with cranberries and sub the currants.)

By: melissam

melissam — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 09:10:22 -0800

These currants can be put in scones too. I like to make an awesome sauce, kind of like the cranberry sauce eaten during Thanksgiving, and use it on meats. Also delicious in tarts and pretty on top of cupcakes. At the farmer's market the general consensus is that most people use them for preserves. I honestly eat them raw most of the time though...I like sour things.

Next time they are in season in Illinois I am planning on making cakes. They look amazing.

BTW one of the reasons Americans aren't so familiar with currants and what to do with them is because they were once banned in many areas because they were blamed for spreading a tree disease. Zante currants, which aren't even currants at all, started being used instead.

By: iviken

iviken — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:01:01 -0800

Try them alone or mixed with other fruits and berries in clafoutis, homemade ice cream, sorbet, or Red Currant Cherry Almond Pie.

By: orange swan

orange swan — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:44:49 -0800

My mom used to make red currant pies.

By: holgate

holgate — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:13:26 -0800

You can reduce them with sugar to a syrup that can then be mixed with sparkling water. Otherwise, tarts, preserves, sauces.

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:16:28 -0800

Rote Grutze is one of my favorite deserts. It's easy, and you can use any single fruit or combination to make up the proportions in the recipe. I like it with heavy cream poured over, but it's more festive with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

By: beagle

beagle — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:05:00 -0800

We used have these growing in the backyard in Holland when I was growing up, and the main application was to put them in yoghurt (which came from the milkman, plain, in bottles -- a little more liquid than most American yoghurt). You got the currents off the stems by running them through a fork, they pop right off. As kids we got to add a little sugar, too, but it's probably fine without. Haven't had this in 49 years and my mouth is watering.