Currently in season
Redcurrants in the Thermomix®
We have matched 5 English Thermomix® recipes with redcurrants. Here is the season window, buying advice and the best MixMyDay recipe links.
Seasonal calendar by month
When are redcurrants in season?
Outdoor crop from June to mid August, black varieties a little earlier than red and white.
Outdoor crop: fresh European harvest. Protected crop: greenhouse or covered cultivation. Stored: European harvest kept in storage.
Buying and storing redcurrants
Currants come in red, black and white. Red varieties taste pleasantly tart and are well suited to jelly and juice. Blackcurrants (cassis) have a bold, slightly bitter aroma and three times as much vitamin C as oranges. White varieties are the mildest and sweetest. Fresh berries still sit firmly on the strig, are plump and evenly coloured. Avoid loose, wrinkled or damp berries with bruises.
In the fridge, ideally still on the strig, currants keep for two to three days. Wrapped in kitchen paper they stay fresh a little longer. To freeze them, strip the berries off the strig, pick them over, pre freeze on a tray and then fill into bags in portions. Frozen currants keep for twelve months and go straight from the freezer into your preserving.
Preparing redcurrants in the Thermomix®
In the Thermomix® we mostly turn currants into jelly and syrup. For the jelly: bring the berries briefly to the boil with a little water (100°C, speed 1, measuring cup removed), then strain them through a fine cloth or sieve, catch the juice and boil it up with preserving sugar. Currants naturally contain plenty of pectin, so jelly succeeds in a one to one ratio with ordinary sugar, though 2:1 preserving sugar is better for more fruit flavour.
To help the jelly set, always leave the measuring cup off during the cooking process, so the steam can escape. Do not forget the set test: put a blob on a cold plate and wait. If it stays firm, you can fill your jars.
The most common mistakes with redcurrants
- Leaving the measuring cup on while cooking. If the measuring cup stays on, the steam cannot escape. The jelly does not lose the liquid it needs and stays runny. Always fit the small steaming basket instead, or take the measuring cup off completely.
- Filling jars of redcurrant jelly without a set test. Currant jelly always looks runny while it is hot. Only a blob on a cold plate shows whether it has set. If needed, cook it on for another three minutes at 100°C.
- Using unripe berries. Pale red or greenish berries have little pectin and sugar. The jelly turns out weak and the flavour is missing. Only harvest or buy when the berries are fully and evenly coloured.
All 5 Thermomix® recipes with redcurrants
Redcurrants as the main ingredient (4 recipes)
Redcurrant Syrup with the Thermomix®- Redcurrant Cake with Meringue, Thermomix®
- Redcurrant Biscuits with the Thermomix®
- Redcurrant Jelly with the Thermomix®
Redcurrants in more recipes (1 recipes)
Tomatoes
Carrots
Potatoes
Peas
Cherries
CourgettesGood to know
Can you eat currants raw?
Yes, all three colours can be eaten raw. Red and white currants taste good straight from the bush. Blackcurrants are very intense and tart raw, so they come into their own better when lightly sweetened or cooked.
What is the difference between jelly and jam with currants?
Jelly is made from the strained juice without any pieces of fruit and is clear. Jam contains all of the fruit flesh. Currant jam is more intense in flavour but has a lot of pips. Most people prefer the jelly for that reason.
Which preserving sugar is best for currants?
Currants naturally contain plenty of pectin, so jelly succeeds even with ordinary sugar in a one to one ratio. With 2:1 preserving sugar the fruit flavour is clearer, the sugar content lower and the colour more vivid.
How do you get currants off the strig quickly?
Run a fork down the strig from top to bottom. Alternatively, freeze the whole strig: frozen berries strip off easily and go straight on to be processed, with no need to pick them over one by one first.
How many Thermomix® recipes with redcurrants are there?
There are currently 5 recipes in our collection. You will find them above, sorted by main ingredient and supporting ingredient.