Name: Easy Redcurrant Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8.82 ounces redcurrants (approx. 2 cups); 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons port; 1½ tablespoons light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly; small pinch of onion granules

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This delicious, rich and tangy redcurrant sauce is extremely versatile and can be used in savoury as well as sweet recipes. It's made using a handful ingredients and ready in as little as 10 minutes!

Redcurrant sauce in white bowl with spoon on top of saucer with redcurrants and sauce in bottle in background.

So you've bought a punnet of redcurrants (possibly as a result of an impulse decision as the currants were on offer) and are now wondering what you are going to do with them. They are a little too sour to eat on their own (though this depends on individual preference) so you could turn them into jam but you already have a couple of jars of that.

In this post I will show you how you can easily turn your redcurrants into a delicious sauce, which can be enjoyed hot or cold, with a huge range of dishes including savoury as well as sweet ones.

Redcurrant sauce ingredients

To prepare the redcurrant simply rinse it and place in a saucepan. You do NOT need to remove the stems as you'll put the mixture through a sieve anyway. You can also add some blackcurrant into the mixture.

The balsamic vinegar and the port (use any) add depth of flavour and a little savouriness into the sauce. You could also use marsala wine instead of the port (as in my blackberry sauce recipe).

I used light brown sugar as it adds a little caramel flavour into the mixture but you could use dark brown or muscovado sugar instead if you prefer.

I added a little redcurrant jelly for more flavour but if you can't get it use cranberry jelly instead.

The sauce also contains a pinch of onion granules for more savoury notes but use it only if you want to serve this sauce with a savoury dish, such as roast or grilled meat.

Redcurrant sauce ingredients in individual dishes.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Place all the ingredients in a saucepan.

Redcurrants with stems, brown sugar and jelly in saucepan.

2. Cook the mixture for about 8 minutes stirring often. The fruit will become very soft and release lots of juice.

3. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes then pour the mixture into a fine-mesh sieve and stir over a bowl to separate the pulp from the sauce.

Redcurrant sauce and redcurrant pulp in sieve.

How to use this sauce

As a savoury fruit gravy sauce alongside roast duck, turkey or chicken (tastes great with grilled meats too). You may want to add a small sprig of rosemary or thyme or orange zest into the sauce as it's cooking. Stir through a tablespoon of butter before serving (optional).
As a dessert fruit sauce (warm or cold) to pour over ice cream, custard, quinoa fruit salad and cake. Do not add onion granules to this kind of sauce but consider adding a little more sugar and/or basil or mint (as it's cooking) into the mixture.
As a salad dressing with summer salads including cantaloupe, blueberry salad and strawberry and spinach salad.
For breakfast with cottage cheese or in a breakfast parfait.

If you are a fan of redcurrant you may also like this simple almond redcurrant cake recipe.

Top tips and FAQs

You do NOT need to remove the stems from the redcurrant before cooking.
Adjust the amount of sugar and balsamic vinegar according to preference and the kind of dish you are planning to serve it with.
Stir the sauce often as it cooks to prevent it sticking to the pan.
The sauce will be quite runny to start with but it will thicken as it cools so allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before separating the pulp from the juice (it will have a better consistency).
Omit the onion granules if you want to serve this sauce in a dessert dish.
Serve warm or chilled.
Once cooled keep refrigerated for up to a week. If you've added butter into the sauce use it within 3 days.

Redcurrant gravy in white bowl with spoon and redcurrants and sauce in bottle in background.

Other summer fruit recipes you might like

Keep in touch!

If you make this redcurrant sauce I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What did you serve it with? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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