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CURRANTS MAKE A COMEBACK

© Connie Krochmal

The much-neglected currants are finally getting the attention they deserve. There's a resurgence of interest, and superior European cultivars are now being introduced to America.

For the busy gardener, currants are an ideal fruit crop. There's no real rush to harvest these berries. Allow them to hang on the vine until they're dead ripe and very sweet. At that stage they're perfect for eating fresh. Since currants grow in long clusters, they're so easy to pick.

Generally currants are used for jams, jellies, and juice. They are also made into delicious pies. Leading chefs are finding many uses for red currant puree. They use it to make sauces for meat dishes.

Traditionally red currants are used in Britain and France for dishes like summer pudding and Cumberland sauce.

One company in California, The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley, is now marketing frozen red currant puree to chefs at upscale restaurants. They make recipes available online at www.perfectpuree.com.

Besides the red currants, there are cultivars bearing delicious white berries. These include 'White Imperial' and 'White Versailles.'

Black currants are also available. Generally it has been used for juice in Europe, and this product is now being sold in the U.S. They are also used in pies and preserves. Black currants are noted for their high Vitamin C content.

Russians use the young leaves of the black currant to make a drink, known as listofka.

If it is dried currants you want, this isn't the right plant. Oddly enough, the dried ones we buy in stores are actually a kind of grape. The name for this dried fruit originated from the word Corinth where this small-fruited, seedless grape variety was first grown.

Unless you live in an urban area where fresh currants are sold in farmers' markets, you'll probably need to grow them yourself. U-pick operations will sometimes have a small number of bushes.

If you plan on growing currants, choose disease-resistant cultivars if possible. Generally most will be susceptible to both white pine blister rust and mildew. Some, such as 'Black Down' and 'Consort,' are resistant to white pine blister rust.

Most currants are prone to mildew, and in bad years the plants can become defoliated. 'Cherry' is a resistant red currant cultivar. For a mildew resistant black one, choose 'Crandall' or 'Black Down.'

The latter is also resistant to white pine blister rust. If the disease is present on pines in your region, you need resistant cultivars. Otherwise the fungus will cause spots on the leaves of currants, and can cause defoliation.