Blackcurrant Hoisin Sauce

A Fruity, Tarty Twist on a Takeaway Favourite

Don't Know What to Do With Blackcurrants? Make This!
We love duck pancakes (also vegan ones too - shoutout Linda McCartney) loaded with crunchy cucumber, spring onions and plenty of sticky hoisin sauce. But after making this homemade blackcurrant version, I highly doubt we will ever go back to shop-bought again.

Rich, glossy and bursting with sweet, tangy berry flavour, this blackcurrant hoisin sauce has all the deep notes you expect, but with an extra fruity richness that makes you want to add a good dollop to every pancake.

From bees to blackcurrants

While collecting a swarm of bees, we discovered a bush laden with beautiful blackcurrants. As we harvested the fruit, we could not help but feel grateful to Mama Earth and our bee babes, because without their incredible pollination work, these magical little berries simply would not exist.

Bees play a vital role in fruit production, helping improve both yield and fruit quality. Every spoonful of this sauce is a little reminder of how interconnected nature truly is.

Why Blackcurrants Are So Special

Blackcurrants are often overlooked, but they are one of Britain's most nutritious summer fruits. They are really tangy so it can be trickier to incorporate them into dessert recipes in comparison to naturally sweeter berries like raspberries, gooseberries and strawberries.

They are naturally rich in:

• Vitamin C, containing around four times more than oranges by weight.

• Anthocyanins, the powerful antioxidants responsible for their deep purple colour.

• Fibre, which supports digestive health.

• Anti-inflammatory plant compounds that may help support overall wellbeing.

However their naturally tart flavour also makes them perfect for savoury recipes, balancing sweetness and adding incredible depth.

What Exactly Is Hoisin Sauce?

Hoisin sauce is often referred to as Chinese barbecue sauce thanks to its thick, glossy consistency and sweet-savoury flavour profile. Interestingly, there isn't one fixed recipe. Through alot of research, variations span far and wide, leaving it open for interpretation and play.

A very traditional hoisin sauce is typically made using fermented soybean paste, spices and sweeteners, but recipes vary widely between regions and households. This makes it the perfect condiment to experiment with using seasonal ingredients and different fruits.

We much prefer this fruity version over the more acidic, sugary supermarket alternatives.

Homemade Blackcurrant Hoisin Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g blackcurrants

• 150g brown sugar

• 1 cinnamon quill

• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

• 2 star anise

• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

• 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

• 200ml red wine

• A few pitted Medjool dates

Optional:

• A small piece of fresh ginger

• A couple of spoons of raw filtered honey for extra richness (to be added once cooled)

• Bayleaves

Method

1. Wash the blackcurrants thoroughly. We also threw in a handful of overly ripe raspberries from the garden.

2. Add all the ingredients to a saucepan.

3. Gently simmer for around 15 minutes until the berries have softened and broken down.

4. Bring to a gentle boil, then remove the woody spices such as cinnamon quill and star anise.

5. Blitz the mixture using a hand blender.

Fair warning: your kitchen may end up looking like a berry battlefield. The tastiest recipes are often the messiest.

6. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a sterilised jar.

This is the truly satisfying part. You're left with the most beautiful smooth, glossy, thick sauce packed with layers of sweet, savoury and aromatic flavour.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This homemade blackcurrant hoisin sauce is:

✔ Rich and fruity
✔ Naturally sweet and tangy
✔ Packed with warming spices
✔ A brilliant way to use seasonal blackcurrants
✔ Free from unnecessary additives and preservatives

The Medjool dates add a wonderful caramel richness, while the Chinese five spice and Sichuan pepper bring warmth and complexity.

How to Use Blackcurrant Hoisin Sauce

This sauce is incredibly versatile.

We especially love it drizzled generously over vegan duck pancakes, but it also works beautifully:

• Stirred through noodles and stir-fries

• As a glaze for tofu or mushrooms

• In salad dressings

• As a dipping sauce for spring rolls

• Brushed onto roasted vegetables

• Used as a marinade

The flavour actually improves after a few days as all the spices continue to infuse.

Stored in a sterilised jar in the fridge, it should keep for around six months.

A Little Jar of Summer Tarty Magic

This recipe feels like bottling up summer itself – tart blackcurrants, warming spices and a reminder of the incredible work our pollinators do every day.

It's sweet, tangy, sticky and deeply savoury all at once. Exactly what you want from a good hoisin sauce.

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