Isn’t it sad, Jill? Not that common, but they taste great :-), Looks like all this fancy cooking is the art of making some healthy ingredients, unhealthy. :). I have a couple of people I know who don’t do sugar so I tried cooking the pears with the currents leaving the pears in spoon size pieces. the same amount of water? I’m English so I grew up with blackcurrants – in jam, pies, Ribena. And Ribena is one of my favourite squashes to have in the house! My husband has some health issues and I’m pumped by the ratings of this fruit. Hi Suzanne, I don’t think fresh blackcurrants would be good in cookies. Oh goodness no! (Sorry, I’m just seeing this now, I was out of the country a lot of 2019.). Even though I’ve been a huge fan of blackcurrant jam, I’ve been oblivious to the difference between currents and blackcurrants so thanks so much for teaching me something new. I got a bottle Of what I hope is a good flavored rum. Oh you are so lucky! We bought the frozen blackcurrants on our way back from a holiday at a store about 100 miles away. Thanks for all the info. It’s actually really difficult to buy them in the UK, probably because they are all going into Ribena! We love using blackcurrants to make homemade jam. This is the receipt I used from the BBC site. Blackcurrants are very sour! PS… I just ordered the dried currents. Glad you have a scale and thanks for noticing the possible typo. Just wanted to let people in southern New England know, I bought black current (and red current, and gooseberry) bushes from Nourse Farms in Whatley, MA. British recipes will never refer to currants for blackcurrants, it’s only the US that doesn’t know the difference (most times). I love redcurrants, too, but blackcurrants are my favorite. Oh yes, you are very fortunate that you can grow them in your climate, Kimberly! You can eat black currants raw, but I am willing to bet that you will not eat half a handful before your mouth revolts! Grapes belong to the genus Vitus and Currants belong to the genus Ribes. :). Lucky you! I was lucky enough to experience a Blackcurrant Merengue Pie at a local pub. WOW I had no idea. That’s amazing! Love blackcurrant jam – and yours looks just perfect. I made my first batch of black currant jam since I’ve been in the U.S. as well as one my favorite German red currant cakes. Yes, enjoy as they are from the bush if you can. Raisins (dried grapes) and Black Currants are entirely different fruits from very different botanical families. Fab Food 4 All, https://nwwildfoods.com/product/dried-black-currants/, Hot Black Currant and Orange Citrus Drink for Colds and Flu - Christina's Cucina, Scottish Tea Bread (Fruit Loaf) - Christina's Cucina, http://www.delicious.com.au/recipes/jamie-olivers-weekend-project-blackcurrant-meringue-pies/ca772a34-2063-4384-891a-4b2869a922de, Dundee Cake (Scottish Cake with Almonds on Top), Leftover Turkey Recipes – 13 Real Meal Recipes (No Soup or Sandwiches), Pear Cake (Using Whole Pears – No Peeling Necessary). Anyways, I only have a 1/2 acre yard and am going to try to find a way to pant all of them. It wasn’t long that the black currant became so popular it was thought of a distinct from its colorful cousins and the name “Blackcurrant” emerged as a single type of berry. Here is your statement that I have taken issue: Enjoy! Hi Graeme, YES! They are called “currants”, but this is a misnomer as they are dried grapes!” What a great article on currents! 23cm (9in) spring-form cake tin, lightly buttered. :). :-D They are extremely astringent raw. I myself prefer the black variety for most occasions. Has anyone ever tried baking cookies with black currants? Originally, English speaking countries such as England, Ireland, Scotland and New Zealand grew black and red currants. * Thick black currant jam drizzled over and lightly mixed in a glass of Greek yogurt is a dessert made in heaven! Christina – my favourite fruit, too. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad3ef8d70011fd3b67b912976dd22d4b" );document.getElementById("g3fd1f9eaa").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); A Scottish Italian cook living in Los Angeles, Christina is usually cooking, baking or (cr)eating something scrumptious. Wish us luck! First of all you will eat more of the berries that way, and maybe even on a regular basis. Hmm, I had no idea. The real story is that when the Greeks began to export the small dried grapes (raisins), from the Ionian Islands of Ζάκυνθος (Zakýnthos) and Κόρινθος (Kórinthos or Corinth), the Greek writing on the sides of the boxes of the first shipment was mistranslated from Zankynthos – Korinthos to Zante Currants. I just loaded up on De Cecco pasta tonight as it was on sale at Smart and Final (I won’t tell you how much I bought)! Hi, I grew up on blackcurrants, and the only drink my 4 year old grandson drinks is his “red water” (Ribera). I think I might try that! This would be great using fresh currants (the original recipe is for fresh.) And the birds are not eating them. Would you consider posting a list of food products/ingredients that you like and have in your pantry? I’ll give your recipe a try. I take a minor issue with you calling your black currants the official use and specific to the plant grown in England. Don’t throw them away! Yesterday I picked 2 cups of wild black currents in southwestern Oregon USA. Did you see the other 4 recipes I linked to in this very post? Regarding fruitcake: it’s dried (Zante) currants, not blackcurrants. In the case of some berries – perhaps not black currants – cooking is needed to destroy phytotoxins, ie. If you even get the chance to buy some blackcurrant jam from Raymond Blanc @ Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons do it – it’s expensive but unbelievably good. How much per lb. I have never tried a black currant! You will need: Blackcurrant Cheesecake is THE best. The use of “currant” arose with the Greek variety, the Zante currant, with “currant” deriving from the city of Corinth where the variety was first cultivated. :), […] may already know I’m on a mission to spread the word about black currants, […]. I miss all those berries SO MUCH! Just get the blackcurrants and enjoy as they are, or freeze them for keeps. You are correct about the cooking of fruit, and let’s not get into the addition of sugar, however, in my opinion, your perspective is a bit skewed. Calling raisins just “currants,” however, is improper and misleading. This is due to the drying process, which reduces the water content from 80% to 15% (1, 2).The … Dried black currants look a lot like Zante currants. I have a black currant bush in my yard and hope to make jam from the berries it produces. I wasn’t aware of the ban history in the U.S, only that black currants are virtually unheard of here. So glad that your seeds sprouted and you’ve been blessed with more seedlings! Such a great article! Calling raisins just “currants,” however, is improper and misleading. You then can claim exclusivity to the specific variety but you cannot claim exclusivity based upon “currant”. 50g Amaretti Biscuits I’ve been growing red and blackcurrants for several years. Base: I’m with Greg and fighting to bring them back with a vengeance! Berries, black currants, blackcurrant, blackcurrant ban, blackcurrant jam, blackcurrants, CurrantC, Currants, forbidden fruit, Greg Quinn, Jam, Ribena, superfruit, superfruits, Zante currants. I believe I measured the 2 lbs of sugar in cups and it was 4.5 cups. Perhaps this is most notable with black currant jams or juice concentrates. I believe you, Gerry! Thank you! It took several years to get going, but it’s really awesome having them in your backyard! However, taking a trip to England wouldn’t be a bad idea, either! Then you could stop others from selling other types of currants as such. So this past Summer we went to a plant nursery and bought several black and red currant bushes so we can finally have a source of both!