Barberries are mostly used in Iranian dishes but are slowly becoming more and more featured in some Western dishes. They are a berry that you most probably have never heard of until you come across it in a specialised middle eastern cooking book.
Seeing as they are not commonly used outside of Iran, barberries are hard to find in western supermarkets. But some other commonly available ingredients could be used instead.
Our 4 Substitutes for Barberries
Barberries are very tart, with not as much sweetness as you would expect from a berry. This is what sets them apart from other berries and dried fruits.
Here are our top 4 substitutes for barberries:
1) Cranberries
A popular berry in the western world, cranberry is a much-loved favourite both in desserts and in savoury dishes when paired with rich meat dishes as a sauce.
You can use either fresh or dried cranberries to replace barberries. Dried cranberries are tarter and will replicate the strong barberry flavour easier.
Cranberries are better used in savoury dishes due to their tart flavour, but they have more sweetness in them than barberries do. This makes them a safe berry to make jam out of.
Dried or fresh, cranberries are a very popular ingredient and are not hard to get your hands on for a decent enough price.
Buy Unsweetened Dried Cranberries
Even unsweetened dried cranberries are usually sweetened by manufacturers to some degree. Make sure to buy a brand that uses the least amount of added sugar to match barberries’ flavour better.
2) Sour Cherries
The first thing you will notice about sour cherries is – unsurprisingly – their sourness.
They are a very acidic fruit, but that is what makes them such a good substitute for barberries. Their acidity can help to tenderise rich meats. Though they can also help to create a sharp tang in sweeter dishes.
If you compare raw sour cherries to uncooked barberries, you may think that they would not make a good substitute.
But, once barberries are cooked, they take on a very sour flavour. It may not be as prominent as the sourness of sour cherries, but it is still a key flavour along with their sweetness.
Know Your Cherries
There are so many species of sour cherries that when selling them commercially, most manufacturers will simply call them sour cherries.
However, some brands like to be more specific and may call them Montmorency cherries instead.
3) Lemon-Soaked Raisins
Raisins are arguably the easiest to find substitute on this list, but they will need to be soaked in some lemon juice to work as a barberry substitute.
Raisins are naturally sweet, often used in healthier desserts due to their lower calorie count.
They do also have a slight tartness to them that is similar to barberries, but they are not commonly used in savoury dishes in the same way. Their sourness is subtle, unfortunately.
To prepare raisins for a barberry dish, you will need to soak them in lemon juice. Doing so will make the raisins taste more acidic and will make them more palatable in savoury dishes.
Use Bottled Lemon Juice
Freshly squeezed lemon juice will give raisins some acidity, but bottled lemon juice is much more concentrated and will work better.
4) Rosehip
Rarer than other substitutes but still more common than barberries, rosehip is most often used to make jams and syrups.
They can be found at the bottom of rosebuds and look a lot like berries. However, rosehip is not classified as a berry, even though you can use them in recipes as if they were.
Rosehip does not carry as much sweetness as berries do, but they are very tart. In fact, their tartness is the only real flavour they have.
They will adapt well to sugar and so are a good substitute for barberry in dessert recipes.
Where Do You Buy Rosehip?
Rosehip is most commonly found in health stores as it is very high in vitamin C. So, it is very valued in the health community. You may be able to find rosehip in a regular supermarket if you’re lucky.
Other Substitutes for Barberries
If you don’t have the above berry (and non-berry) options to hand, here are a few more substitutes that could work as barberry if you have nothing else.
- Lemon-Soaked currents – Like lemon-soaked raisins, currants prepared in the same way will work as a barberry replacement. But they might not take to the acidity as well.
- Goji Berries – Some mistake barberries for goji berries when vising the middle east. They are very similar, but they are just as hard to find in western supermarkets.
Summary
Barberries can be very hard to find outside of Iran, but some berries like cranberries can replicate their unique flavour and work in Iranian recipes in a similar way.