Can You Freeze Redcurrants?

3 minutes

Tart, sour and great for adding punch to various dishes. But, you’ll usually find that you a little goes a long way, and you’ve got redcurrants leftover. So, what do you do with them?

How to Freeze Redcurrants

Freezing redcurrants is quite simple because both redcurrants and blackcurrants freeze very well. However, there are some important steps to take:

1. Wash and Dry: Ensure that you thoroughly wash and dry the currants – any contaminants can and will affect how the berries freeze. To avoid any bursting, thorough washing is wise.
2. Lay Out on a Baking Sheet: Spread the redcurrants out on a lined baking sheet, and try to make sure that none of the currants are directly touching. If they are, then they might freeze together.
3. Freeze: Place the sheet into the freezer, keeping it as flat as possible. After around 2 hours, the currants should be frozen solid, and you can move on to the next step. Try to avoid over-freezing them, as this can lead to a level of freezer burn setting in.
4. Bag Up: Tip the frozen berries into a freezer bag, before pressing out as much excess air as you can, and sealing the bag. Finally, return the bagged up currants to the freezer.

3 Tips for Freezing Redcurrants

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing redcurrants to have the best results:

Prevent them From Sticking Together
If the redcurrants aren’t stuck together, when you come to cook with them, then your life will be easier. You can try to break them apart by snapping large chunks with your hands, but it makes grabbing a portion challenging.

Add Herbs and Spices
If you’re using the redcurrants for a recipe, consider freezing them with a complementary herb like mint or rosemary. They will absorb some of the aromas during thawing, and the flavour will be transferred to your final recipe. 

Destem After Freezing
It’s recommended to always de-stem redcurrants after freezing since the contraction and expansion of the currant makes the process easier. Therefore, leave it until after freezing to destem them. 

How Long Can You Freeze Redcurrants?

You can freeze redcurrants for around 3 months before their texture is damaged by freezer burn.

You can continue to freeze them longer if you’ll be using the currants in a recipe that breaks their texture down. For instance, if you’re making jam, you don’t need to worry about keeping the berries whole – they’ll only be crushed either way.

How Do You Defrost Redcurrants?

The best way to defrost redcurrants is to transfer them to the freezer overnight. This will allow them to thaw more slowly, which will lead to the currants being less damaged texturally.

You can thaw them on the countertop for a more rapid thaw, or you could use them directly from frozen in specific recipes. If you need to thaw them well, though, the fridge is your friend.

Can You Refreeze Redcurrants?

Yes, you can refreeze redcurrants.

You may lose some level of texture each time they’re refrozen since the berries themselves contain a lot of water.

Therefore, if they’re repeatedly frozen, the water will expand and contract several times, leading to the cells in the berries bursting and becoming squishy.

Do Redcurrants Freeze Well?

Yes, redcurrants do freeze well.

The main reason for this is that the bushes the berries come from typically grow in countries with freezing-cold winters – this means that the berries have naturally developed a level of resistance to the cold.

They have pretty thick skins and a relatively small amount of water in them, compared to other fruit. Both of these things make them a little better for freezing.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing redcurrants or redcurrants in general, then these may help: