While black currants have a strong taste, they’re delicious to eat raw when they’re ripe. You can also use them in a variety of recipes.
How do you eat fresh blackcurrants?
Strip the currants from their stalks. Add raw to fruits salads if they are not too tart or cook in a little water with sugar to taste. Do not overcook or they will lose their fresh flavour.
How do you know when black currants are ready to pick?
Blackcurrants are ready to pick when they are dark and shiny, but still firm. Pick currants on a dry day, as wet currants will quickly go mouldy. Harvest whole trusses, rather than individual berries. They can be eaten fresh and will keep for several days after picking.
What do raw blackcurrants taste like?
Black currants have a strong, tart taste due to the high levels of tannins. These berries have strong, earthy tones. People describe the taste as grape-like flavor and are acidic to taste with hints of cherry. When dried, black currants contain hints of vanilla and wildflower.
How do I prepare blackcurrants?
To prepare: To remove the berries from the stalks, hold each stalk at the top with the berries at the bottom and run a fork down each one. The berries should come away easily, without being damaged. To cook: To stew blackcurrants add a little water and 50g sugar per 450g of fruit, simmer gently until just tender.
Can you eat black currants raw?
While black currants have a strong taste, they’re delicious to eat raw when they’re ripe. You can also use them in a variety of recipes. Some ways to prepare black currants include: Cooking with sugar and other fruits to make a jam.
Are raw blackcurrants good for you?
In addition to vitamin C, blackcurrants have plenty of antioxidants and anthocyanins. These can help strength your immune system, soothe sore throats, and ease flu symptoms. Blackcurrant leaves also have a range of properties, including: antimicrobial.
How do you store blackcurrants after picking?
Keep blackcurrants in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To keep any bacteria off of them, rinse and dry your blackcurrants when you’re ready to eat them. Keep your stored blackcurrants in the middle of the fridge. That will make sure they stay evenly cooled. You can also put them in the crisper.
What to do with blackcurrants after picking?
Blackcurrants freeze really well, so if you manage to get hold of more than you need, you can just pop them into the freezer. Place in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to six months. Unlike many berries, they also store well in the fridge and should be good to go for five or six days after picking.
How do you store fresh blackcurrants?
Try to keep them as flat as possible. Bag Up: Once you feel the covering of the blackcurrants is hardened, remove them from the freezer. Then shake the blackcurrants into a plastic container or a Ziploc bag. Seal and Freeze: Don’t forget to seal the bag or the container tightly.
Are black currants sweet or tart?
The fruit of blackcurrants when eaten raw has a strong, tart flavour. It can be made into jams and jellies which set readily because of the fruit’s high content of pectin and acid.
How do you use black currants?
Black currants are most frequently used in infusions, jams, jellies, pies, tarts, and baking, and are also dried for use in tea.
What is the difference between a blackberry and a blackcurrant?
Blackcurrants and blackberries are quite different fruits that have a different flavor, shape, and size. Blackberries are approximately the size of a grape and are made up of individual segments that are significantly sweeter than blackcurrant which is around the size of a pea in most cases.
Do you need to tail blackcurrants?
Prepare Your Blackcurrant Fruit
If you have grown your blackcurrants yourself you will need to remove the tails (stalks) and wash your currants. Some people also prefer to remove the tops as well. It does take ages (and I mean ages) so you may prefer not to do this.
Do I need to wash blackcurrants before freezing?
Rinse them under cool water to remove any insects or debris. Spread them on a dish towel to dry off for a few minutes. If you won’t get around to de-stemming the fruits for more than a few hours, simply put the whole clusters of currants into freezer bags or containers.
Do you have to top and tail blackcurrants to make jam?
For me, it is just as good to leave the odd little green stalk on and totally ignore the little dried flower end. The end product when you use a blender stick on your simmered fruit is a smooth jam with a dense texture and a strong, rich flavour.
Can you eat raw currants?
You can eat currants raw, but black currants, especially, are quite tart. Adding a bit of sugar or cooking the berries into jams, jellies, or sauces can help offset the tartness (but will also affect their nutritional profile). You can use currants in desserts instead of other berries.
Should blackcurrant bushes be pruned?
Pruning Blackcurrants:
This is to encourage bushier growth from the base in year one, making a solid foundation. If you were planting pot grown plants in summer, you would leave them to grow as they were until winter, then snip the top/s off to encourage bushiness and still get fruit the next year.
Do blackcurrants need to be cooked?
Can you eat raw blackcurrants? Of course, you can eat raw blackcurrants, we would recommend defrosting them if you’re using them for snacking though. They also work great in baking and cooking straight from frozen!
What are the side effects of black currant?
Side effects.
The GLA in black currant seeds can sometimes cause side effects, such as: Headache. Diarrhea. Gas and belching.
Do black currants ripen after picking?
Harvesting. The berries on a currant bush ripen over a 2-week period. However, once a berry ripens it can usually be left on the bush a week or more without dropping or becoming over-mature.