How To Freeze Currants (Quick And Easy!)

This post may contain affiliate links, my full disclosure can be read here. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

How to freeze currants the easy way so that you can enjoy cooking with them all year long! Don’t miss out on this short-lived summer treat when you can easily enjoy cooking and baking with frozen currants later. They taste just like fresh ones!

Currants are one of my favorite fruits to grow and cook with.

They can be really hard to find in grocery stores but if you aren’t growing your own make sure to check out local farmers markets in the summer for fresh currants.

Currants are little berries that grow on shrubs and come in red, black and white varieties.

These jewel-like berries hang in almost grape-like clusters from the branches.

They really do look like little jewels hanging from the bushes.

They have a slightly tart taste and can be used to make amazing baked goods and jellies.

We have a large red and white currant bush that provides lots of berries for us and have started more currant plants from cuttings. We just can’t have enough!

Freeze Currants To Cook With All Year

Fresh currants are only available for a short time in the summer so I love to freeze as many as I can. If you freeze currants properly you will have lots to enjoy until your next harvest.

Do Red Currants Freeze Well?

Yes, both red and black currants freeze very well. Just follow the simple steps below to prepare and freeze your currants to use in baking recipes or to make jelly from later.

This way you can make jams and jellies during the cooler months when you don’t mind the stove being on all day.

How To Freeze Currants

Pick the ripe currants from your shrubs, you can leave them on the stems or remove them while picking.

Rinse the currents under cool water to remove any leaves, insects or other debris. Then spread them out on a tea towel to dry.

Once the berries are fully dry measure them into the amounts you want, I like to freeze in 2 cup portions and place them into freezer bags.

Remove as much air as possible from the bags, label them and place them lying flat in a single layer in your freezer.

If you have a vacuum sealer then use it to suck the air out of the bags just make sure to use the delicate option! It will help them to last much longer in the freezer.

Once the berries are fully frozen you can stack them in the freezer anyway you like.

Tips For Destemming Currants

Some people find that currants are a hard fruit to remove the stems on. The berries are very tiny and it is easy to squish them if you are not careful.

I prefer to destem the berries while I’m picking them to save time.

If you wait until the berries are very ripe and place the stem in between your fingers while gently pulling downwards on the stem the berries easily slide off and into your cupped hand.

I do this on multiple stems of currants and then gently pour them into a bowl.

I find this makes picking the berries much faster and I don’t have to bother removing the stems later.

But you can also break or cut off the stem with the string of berries on them.

Then after rinsing and drying lay them flat on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and place them into the freezer for a few hours.

Once they are fully frozen it’s very easy to pick them off of the stems. As you work measure them out into the amounts you want and place into freezer bags.

If you are working with a large number of currants then just remove smaller amounts from the freezer to destem so they don’t unthaw while you are working.

How To Use Frozen Currants

After freezing you can use frozen currants anyway you would normally use fresh ones! They are great to use in muffins, scones, and for making syrups, jams and jellies.

Don’t Forget To Pin For Later!

Connect With Homestead Acres!

Be sure to follow me on social media, so you never miss a post!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Visit my Amazon store to find all my favorite gardening, homesteading tools, and gadgets plus all of my printed garden books and journals!