Redcurrant (2024)

FAQs

Can I eat red currants raw? ›

These shiny little berries grow low on bushes, hanging from the branches like rows of miniature gems. Their flavour is a little tart but they're still sweet enough to be eaten raw, so long as they're sprinkled with plenty of sugar.

What Does It Taste Like? Currants have a sweet and sour berry flavor. All varieties have a bright acid kick to balance out their sweetness, and a fair amount of tannins that can make your mouth pucker.

All currant varieties are about the size of large peas, slightly smaller than cranberries. They are also very tart, just like cranberries, but are juicy when raw (unlike cranberries, which are hard until they are cooked). All varieties of currants taste very tart, astringent, and slightly earthy or herbal.

A. Like many fruits with red pigment, red currants contain an antioxidant carotenoid known as lycopene. Lycopene reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, especially prostate cancer. In addition, it protects the body from free radical stress that can damage DNA and other cell structures.

It is native to Western Europe and has long been cultivated in the United States. In the early 1900s, currants were banned in the northern United States to prevent the spread of white pine blister rust. However for most states, including Utah, the ban was lifted in 1966.

Redcurrants are ready to harvest once the fruits are richly coloured, firm and juicy, usually from July onwards, depending on the variety. Cut whole fruit trusses rather than individual currants, and simply remove the stems in the kitchen.

Red currants can be kept refrigerated for up to 6 days and for 1 to 2 days at room temperature. Prevent bruising by spreading them out and only removing the peduncles after washing them. If you want to freeze red berries, spread them on a platter in the freezer.

Red currants are shockingly expensive, but I like to buy a few pints every year to play with. Tart, tiny currants – they are foreign to most Americans. But the Europeans still eat — and drink — them frequently. The French, for example, make a delicious liqueur out of black currants called Crême de Cassis.

Red currants have a tart flavour. Fruit may be eaten fresh off the plant, or used in pies, jams, jellies and sauces. They are a fantastic natural concentrated source of vitamin B and C, antioxidants and manganese. You can store the fruits in the fridge for around 4 days or put them in the freezer.

Pink Champagne' currants are pendant clusters of fruits the color of champagne blushed with pink. These currants are less tart than the red, and among the sweetest of all currants. Although they may be eaten ripe off the shrub, pink currants are more often harvested for use in jams, jellies, and pies.

Are dried currants really currants? ›

Currants, also known as “Zante currants,” are tiny, dried grapes. These are not to be confused with berries like Ribes sativium and Ribes nigrum that are also called “currants” (). Despite their name, Zante currants are actually made by drying a variety of small, seedless grapes called “Black Corinth” and “Carina.”

Many people consider 'Rovada' to be the best red currant cultivar.

Pomegranates: Pomegranates help reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries therefore decreasing risk of heart attack and stroke. They are also a powerful cancer-fighting fruit due to the antioxidant power of polyphenols. Strawberries: Rich in Vitamin C and folate, strawberries are super for heart health.

Raisins have some phytonutrients, most notably boron but raisins contain far fewer antioxidants than Black Currants and Black Currants supply iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, as well as 4 X the vitamin C of oranges, more potassium than bananas, twice the antioxidants of blueberries, and more.

Red currants are also rich in potassium – a mineral that regulates blood pressure and thus prevents the development of high blood pressure.