Black Currant Scone Recipe (fresh currants...not dried)?

[CurlySue44]

I recently got some beautiful black currants from my CSA. I froze them immediately since I did not know what to do with them at the time. Now I am thinking I want to make scones with them. They are very tart. Most of the recipes I see call for dried currants and those would be much sweeter. Does anyone have a great scone recipe? Or any advice on translating a traditional scone recipe to incorporate the frozen currants?

Thanks!
Sue

[paulj]

A fresh berry, or frozen, probably works better in a muffin batter than a biscuit/scone dough.

[sandylc]

That's generally true, however I have had good luck patting out my dough, pressing in frozen blueberries, folding the dough over them, then re-patting and cutting the scones. The liquid stays in the berries and they turn out very well!

[karykat]

There are lots of good uses for them.

They make great sauces for meats.

They also make a great syrup which can go over ice creams (or in ice cream). I don't like to put too much sugar in -- less than some of the recipes say because I like them more tart.

You can also make a syrup and put it into sparkling water for a great drink. Or a little bit into white wine.

There are lots of uses for them. And they are precious. Not easy to find.

I have a friend who grows them, and I wheedle as many as I can from him.

[chefj]

Those are not the same fruits.
Dried currants are actually Zante grape raisins and are what is used for Currant Scones.
What you have are called Ribes or Currants and can not be dried and are not typically used in baking because of their high water content.
I think that when you take them out of the freezer you will have a liquid. Still useable for Jams, Jellies, Liquors ,Sauces, Sorbets and the like.

[StringerBell]

Black currants can't be dried? I'm not sure where that comes from, I've bought dried black currants and grown and dehydrated my own for use in wine making.

I don't know too much about baking and scones since I don't eat dessert, but if you google black currant scones there are a lot of recipes that appear to be with actual black currants. There is no mention anywhere of dried black Corinth grapes. These recipes all seem to be using real black currants, if they're not, I don't see why none of them would clarify what they're using.

Do you have a food dehydrator Sue? You could always thaw them and dehydrate them since I could see the high water content being a problem. Or you could just dehydrate them on a screen outside since it's hotter than a 2 peckered goat right now.

[paulj]

Black currents are better known in Europe than the USA, where they were restricted to protect forests (see Wiki article). But even in the UK, dried currents are the dried grapes, not dried black currents.
http://britishfood.about.com/od/gloss...

[karykat]

You can buy black currants dried. This place sells them fresh frozen, dried, juiced and other ways. http://www.currantc.mybigcommerce.com/

But the scone recipes are definitely calling for the dried Corinth grapes.

Getting them fresh or fresh frozen is really a treat. They add something indefinable to sauces. There is a depth or complexity they can add. And you don't really even need that many.

You are inspiring me to go to my freezer and use some of what I have frozen there!

[StringerBell]

"But the scone recipes are definitely calling for the dried Corinth grapes."

Maybe most of those recipes are calling for dried Corinth grapes since that is common in British recipes, but if you google "black currant scones" there are many recipes that do use actual black currants and not dried Corinth grapes. From the first 2 pages of results these are talking about ribes black currants and not Corinth raisins:

http://edibleventures.blogspot.com/2010/01/orange-and-black-currant-scones.html
http://localkitchenblog.com/2009/07/22/black-currant-scones/
http://blog.hookingrugs.com/2011/08/h...

Many of these appear to be variations on other recipes with the currants added, but if nothing else it seems that they at least can work fairly well in scone recipes.

[karykat]

Hmmm. Yes. These recipes do seem to be using the fresh black currants. And they look pretty good too. I wouldn't mind having one right now with my cup of coffee.

[chefj]

Most recipes that call for Dried Currants are referring to Zante Currants not dried Ribes whether they say so or not. Currant scones and buns are a perfect example and they are not from the USA.
I guess that I was mistaken in thinking that they could not be dried easily but it dose look like most of the commercial ones are freeze dried.

[karykat]

Yes - you are entirely right. The dried currant recipes mean the ones you mention whether they say that or not.

Maybe partly because you couldn't get the other ones here at all for a good while.

[CurlySue44]

Thanks all. I really had no idea about the differences. I think I will make some blueberry scones tonight and then continue to save the currants for a sauce or jam.