Cooking with Black Currants

Instructor: Erin Crooks Lynch of the Savana Institute

Discover the forgotten American berry in this practical, flavor-packed demonstration focused on cooking with black currants. This is a berry that most cooks never handle, and you’ll learn how to turn this intensely aromatic fruit into a jam that sets, perfect for crepes and savory applications!

We’ll cover the earthy, musky, and herbal flavor of black currants, noticing an acidity that wakes up everything around it. They are naturally high in pectin and acid, which makes them forgiving for jam-making.

We’ll discuss how to work with fresh and frozen fruit and how to build a crepe filling that balances the berry’s tartness. You’ll taste black currant jam with crepes and sample different foods, savory and sweet, enhanced with black currants.

You’ll leave with ideas for using black currants beyond breakfast, from sauces for roasted meats to spooning them over ice cream or stirring them into a drink. You’ll also leave with recipes, black currant juice, and preserves to play with at home!

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Erin Crooks Lynch, Savanna Institute’s Campus Engagement Manager, oversees the care of Elderflower Retreat-a community gathering and private rental space, and leads efforts at Savanna’s Spring Green Campus including tours, events and outreach. Erin previously co-owned and operated Enos Farms, a farm-to-table and zero-waste catering business and pastured pork farm.

Her passion for creating purposeful gatherings dates back to her time spent living (and eating) her way through France, working at L’Etoile Restaurant in Madison and was exhibited through Enos Farms’ widely known Harvest Moon Dinner. She loves to discover new ways to play with the perennial ingredients grown at Savanna Institute, including chestnuts, hazelnuts, black currants and other crops.