Drying Currants: How It Works

Drying currants – preparation

Drying the currants is a practical solution for reasons of shelf life and sustainability. In order to properly dry the currants, you need to make a few preparations:

• Check the fruit for damage and sort out rotten currants.
• Separate the berries from the panicles, catch them in a bowl and then wash them.
• Then spread the fruit on a towel. Now the currants from the previous cleaning process need to dry.

How to properly dry the berries

You have several options for drying currants. If you want an energy-saving solution, simply let the fruit air dry. Drying is quicker with a dehydrator. The oven is also suitable, but this consumes a relatively large amount of energy.

1. In the air: place baking paper on a wire rack and spread the currants on it. Find a warm, bright place, but not in direct sunlight. Too much sun destroys the healthy components of the berries. Then let the currants air dry for several days.
2. Dehydrator: When drying in the dehydrator, the power consumption is relatively low and the fruit dries quickly. Place the redcurrants on a grid and refer to your dehydrator manual for the temperature to set.
3. Oven: Spread the fruit on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Set a maximum of 90 degrees circulating air and let the currants dry in the oven for several hours. Check regularly how far the process has progressed.

How to properly store currants

If you store the dried fruit ideally, you will still have some of the taste and ingredients for a long time.

• Place the currants in a screw-top glass jar. In this way, the fruit is stored airtight and no moisture can penetrate.
• Also, make sure to keep the currants in a place protected from light. It is not a good idea to be in the direct sun, as the berries not only lose the vitamin C they contain but also other healthy components.
• The currants should be kept in a dry and warm place. Avoid cool basements.