I’ve had red currant jelly. And it’s very different from the black currant I had. I can’t speak to off the bush tho.
The red currant jelly reminded me more of a red raspberry jelly.
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Ive made jelly out of my reds, its OK, but to me seems to have a kinda one dimensional flavor. Also the seeds in reds are more annoying, thats why I made a jelly instead of a jam, but I like jams better. I really like blacks mixed with other things, I made some about 80% raspberry 20% BC jam a few years ago that was really good. Thats where I think BC really shine is mixed with other fruits, ive made pies from them and they are pretty good also.
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I can eat a bunch of the reds off the bush but I’m allergic to them as well. They don’t taste the same as black currants. A tart blueberry vs something else
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I have primus white and a pink i think pink champagne, they taste pretty similar but my primus has a mouth puckering dry after taste that kinda turns me off so i prefer the pink for flavor. Its the only white ive had so not sure if others are like that. Doesnt produce nearly as much though i bet primus has 3-4x the yield. Red ones ive tried in the past seem slightly tarter but probably not by a lot. Blacks taste much differnet than the those, My minaj black currant is my go to fresh eating currant. Blackdown are ok but not as sweet and they are a lot firmer i like the squishy ripe juicy minaj texture. Id prefer a good gooseberry though over any of those
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I would describe black currant flavor as complex, aromatic, tart, almost spicy - a bit like a juniper berry, with blackberry undertones. I think people expect them to be blueberry-ish and they really aren’t. Others have uncharitably likened the taste to the smell of cat pee, but that’s an over exaggeration. Fresh I would add to yogurt or into smoothies with other fruit. The flavor does transform completely when processed with sugar into syrup (to make Ribena cordial), jam, and jelly. It pairs very well with apple or pear, especially Bramley apples (Granny Smith or Pink Lady would work too) in pies, pastries and crumbles. Strawberries and other ‘fruits of the forest’ (raspberries, red currants and blackberries) pair well too. When processed is when they shine, the flavor to me is what blueberries should taste like - blueberries processed are a shadow of the flavor of processed blackcurrant imo. Black currant (Ribes Nigrum) flavor is certainly striking and is a completely different flavor, to red currants and gooseberries and unlike anything else. Packed with vitamin C.
Red currants by contrast are very one note - that note is tart. They are watery droplets of bursting tartness. I guess they have a subtle underlying ‘berry’ flavor to them, especially when very ripe. Fresh I would add to yogurt or into smoothies with other fruit. I added some to Greek Yogurt the other day, and squished a few with a spoon, with their sourness neutralized by the yogurt - the flavor was simply ‘berry’ - I say that as the flavor wasn’t distinct enough be thought of as anything else - even raspberries, blackberries and blueberries each have a more distinctive flavor raw. Certainly not unpleasant but it does illustrate how the basic flavor is tart. They suffer because their ruby red jewel like appearance makes them appear sweeter than they actually are. They are easier to eat fresh than black currants but they are sour - though not astringent in the way a raw cranberry is. Red currant jelly is basically the European version of American cranberry sauce and is used in the same way.
Gooseberries I would describe as tart and juicy, tartness - depending on ripeness is similar to red currants, but depending on variety - possibly milder. Red dessert varieties will be ‘sweeter’ than green varieties but I’m not a fan of the mealy mushy texture of ripe gooseberries. Prefer them underripe. Texture is like those crisp, Thompson Seedless green grapes you sometimes get. The flavor profile is somewhat similar to raw Rhubarb without the underlying vegetal taste. It has an underlying ‘berry’ flavor instead - with a hint of kiwi thrown in. The Ribes unlike Rubus just have not been bred for overrriding sweetness. In fact they are a great balancer and antidote to the modern oversweetened fruit of today. If you like Rhubarb, you’ll like Gooseberries. I like them raw. Not really for juicing. Also good for jam, compote, pies and crumbles.
All of these freeze well too.
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I got a few berries off a newly rooted beloruskaja and it may have displaced minaj as my favorite fresh eater. Berries were a lot smaller but that migh because its only a foot tall, similar texture somewhat sweeter and more grapey fruity tasting
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My black currants are dropping a lot of berries again this year. Any ideas? I’ve cut open berries looking for insect damage or larvae but don’t see any. The shrivel, change color and drop prematurely, not all berries do this, some are fine, plants appear healthy
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My young kids and I all enjoy eating Minaj BC right off the bush. I’ll grant that it’s not a super sweet fruit, but I think relating it to feet is too dramatic.
The way I’d put it is: If you like tart things, and you like gin, you’ll like black currants too.
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Mine were a little smaller than a marble. Not small but not big. Fresh wasn’t awful, but not something I’d go for lol. Now the syrup I made, was the best thing I ever had.
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Some of the berries on my Crandall are doing something similar but not that shriveled. I think it might be because of heat for me. We had a few 100+ days
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that’s strange. mine are doing the same thing. ive never seen it before. leaves look bad but they always do due to aphids but its never affected fruit production. also ripening is delayed . my selenchenskaya 2 are usually already ripening by now but just starting to color now.
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Black currant run-off? this seems similar, but mine are shriveling on the bush before falling, where it looks like these have fallen, but didnt shrivel first.
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mine are just discolored on the bush. none have fell off yet. the ones not discolored are small also. thought maybe its because of all the rain we’ve got but thats never bothered them in the past. .
Well just to counter mine is ten years old and is a very large bush with excellent yields. Ripe before all others too. Very close to my favorite bush. What I really like about it is fruit is high on canes never falling over or getting nasty from being close to the ground. Canes are thick, strong, and remain upright with some exceptions I cut off. Berries are medium to large. I wish they were a touch bigger but the easy harvest from a chair makes it convenient.
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Looks like heat!
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I’m no disease expert, but it looks an awful lot like what happens to my grapes in wet years - black rot, which is a fungus
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My berries were much smaller than a marble. Maybe the sugars were more concentrated or something. And again its a first year plant thats pretty small we’ll see next year when its a little bigger
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My favorite black currants to eat in the garden are Ben Hope and Ben Connan. There is a more recent Ben that I don’t think is available here. I don’t pick currants to eat fresh. I don’t think the shelf life would be that good. I love my Black velvet gooseberries and a few other varieties. My absolute favorite use for black currants is in curd.
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