Red currants are in season and I make a few preservation recipes with them. These berries taste wonderful once they are ripe after harvest. But they don’t last very long after harvesting. You know my love for fermented healthy food, so I also made lacto fermented red currants to enjoy the health benefits of fermented fruits as well.
What You Need to Know about Lacto Fermenting Berries
Fermentation is a near-magical process that transforms any food. My kitchen and refrigerator is filled with fermented batter, bubbling sourdough starter, yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles and hot sauce to name a few.
This lacto fermented red currants recipe is simple to make. All you need is berries, a sweetener, water, and a starter culture to help start the fermentation process. Fermented fruit don’t need long fermentation process. A couple of days at the most and they are ready. Lacto fermented berries taste wonderful. They are both sweet and tangy. You can use them on oat meal porridge, fruit salads or berry infused water. They are even great to eat as a snack with homemade yogurt and a little sweetner.
Tips to make Lacto Fermented Red Currants Recipe
- Use fermenting weights for lacto fermentation.
- Don’t ferment fruits for more than 2 days or they will get alcoholic.
- Use a starter culture for lacto fermenting fruits and berries, so that its quicker.
- Add a sweetener like honey to speed up the fermentation process.
- You will need the berries to be fully submerged in the liquid so it keeps the oxygen out to avoid mold.
Why do you need to use fermenting weights?
I have tried previously to use sterilized stones, but I did have a moldy result sometimes and had to throw it out. Since, I have these fermenting weights my fermenting foods works like a dream. Because, these weights are perfectly fitting into mason jars, you can easily ferment small quantities of fruits or vegetables. In addition to it you can use fermenting lids to let the air out during the fermentation process.
Why do you need a sweetener?
When you add a sweetener to fruits and berries it helps to speed up the fermentation process. It also proves a source of carbohydrates for the beneficial bacteria which you want to cultivate.The sugars that remain after fermentation gives the berries a wonderful sweetness to balance their tartness. Lacto fermented red currants are quite tart, which I personally don’t mind. But we want our children and the rest of the family to eat this healthy food, so the sweetener helps.
Can you use honey as a sweetener ?
Yes, honey is antimicrobial because it has a low water content and ferments just fine. The addition of a sweetener in this recipe for fermented berries helps, like the starter culture to speed up fermentation by providing a source of carbohydrates for the beneficial bacteria you’re hoping to cultivate. The sugars that remain after fermentation give the berries a wonderful sweetness to balance their tartness.
How to Know When Your Lacto Fermented Red Currants are ready ?
Unlike sauerkraut or cucumbers which typically benefit from a long period of fermentation, berries on the other hand benefit from a very short fermentation. Therefore, you need only one to two days. Moreover, you want to stop the fermentation before they turn alcoholic. This way they will keep the sweetness intact. After about a day, you’ll notice little bubbles appearing at the surface of the jar. Open the jar, spoon out a berry and taste it. If it tastes tart and faintly effervescent then they are done.
How long can you store Lacto fermented Red currant berries
Lacto fermented berries should be stored in the refrigerator. They can easily be stored for a month in the fridge.
Tips to use Lacto Fermented Red Currants
Since, fruits and berries soften during fermentation, you will be getting a thin and slightly jammy texture. You can puree them and use them in smoothies, muesli or in yogurt.
HOW TO MAKE LACTO FERMENTED RED CURRANTS
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Ingredients
- Ripe Red Currants – 1 Liter
- Honey – 4 tablespoon
- Himalaya Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
- Whey or liquid from yogurt – 4 tablespoon
- Water – 4-6 tablespoons ( I used filtered water from my Berkey filter )
Instructions
Remove the red currants from their stalks and wash it thoroughly and drain excess water.
Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Crush the berries a little in order to extract some juice.
Set it aside for a few minutes and you will see the berries sweat a bit more.
Fill the mixture tightly into sterilized fermenting glass jars.
Leave a little space before placing the fermenting weights and for the gas to escape. The weight helps in keeping the red currants fully submerged in the liquid and keeping the oxygen out.
Make sure that the berries are fully submerged in the juices and liquid.
Close with the fermenting lid and set it below a tray to let the fermenting gas and any liquid to escape
Leave at room temperature for 1-2 days. Store in refrigerator and use within 1-2 months.
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