Suppression
Black currants
Category: Food
Type
Voluntary
Introduction and description
The blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is a woody shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its 'piquant berries'. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia where it prefers damp fertile soils and is widely cultivated both commercially and domestically. It is winter hardy but cold weather at flowering time during the spring reduces the size of the crop. Bunches of small, glossy black fruit develop along the stems in the summer and can be harvested by hand or by machine. The fruit is rich in vitamin C, various other nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Blackcurrants can be eaten raw but are usually cooked in a variety of sweet or savoury dishes. They are used to make jams, jellies and syrups and are grown commercially for the juice market. The fruit is also used in the preparation of alcoholic beverages and both fruit and foliage have uses in the preparation of dyes.
But from the point of view of this site they have been scientifically proven to have considerable healing power, somewhat confirming their use in folk and herbal medicine.
Background
As a crop, the blackcurrant suffers from several pests and diseases. The most serious disease is reversion, caused by a virus transmitted by the blackcurrant gall mite. Another is white pine blister rust which requires two alternating hosts, the blackcurrant and certain coniferous trees. This fungus caused damage to forests when the fruit was first introduced into North America. As a result, the blackcurrant has been subject to restrictions in the United States as a disease vector for most of the 20th century. Breeding is being undertaken in Europe and New Zealand to produce fruit with better eating qualities and bushes with greater hardiness and disease resistance.
Method
Lightly cooked with sugar and then sieved they make a delicious sauce for ice cream, a base for blackcurrant fool [with cream or egg based custard], and the juice can be added to squeezed orange juice and is truly delicious and refreshing as a drink
The resulting puree also makes lovely mousses, and sorbets.
In savoury dishes I have combined the puree with balsamic vinegar and used it with smoked duck and smoked venison and as a sauce on venison burgers. It can be added at the very end of cooking rich game dishes and gives a delicious sweet sharp flavour to the sauce/gravy.
How it works
See the observations, scientists are working on it
The vitamin C content of black currants is well known, but it clearly has a lot more potential in health terms than we currently [sorry for the pun] know
Advantages
DeliciousDisadvantages
Can't think of anythingRelated observations
Healing observations
- Berries and berry liqueurs and wines as antioxidants 007153
- Berries and cancer 005363
- Berries and health 005359
- Beverley-Travis natural laxative mixture 005745 005745
- Black currants and TBE 005349
- Black currants, bilberries and TBE 005350
- Dr Duke's list of Anti-inflammatory activity for Black currants 018124
- Dr Duke's list of antiparasitic plants 010310
- Dr Duke's list of mercury chelating plants 017825
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing ARGININE 017958
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing LUTEIN 018922
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing NICKEL 021500
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing PROLINE 017956
- Dr Duke's list of Plants Containing QUERCETIN 021446
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing SELENIUM 020550
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing SULFUR 021408
- Dr Duke's list of plants for Superactivity Arteriosclerosis/Atherosclerosis 017744
- Dr Duke's list of plants having chemicals with vasodilatory activity 017836
- Dr Duke's list of plants with a diuretic activity 012389
- Dr Duke's list of plants with a large number of chemicals having antiviral activity 017909
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anti-aggregate activity 017520
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiacne Activity 018404
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antialcoholic Activity 018406
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiarrhythmic activity 018344
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiarthritic activity 018346
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiasthmatic Activity 018412
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiasthmatic activity 018347
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiatherogenic and Antiatheroscleroticactivity 018349
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiatherosclerotic Activity 018414
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antibacterial activity 018352
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anticalculic activity 018361
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anticataract activity 018378
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anticystitic activity 018442
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antidermatitic activity 018427
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antidiabetic activity 018473
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiflu activity 019584
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiglaucomic activity 019952
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antihemorrhagic activity 018446
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antiherpetic activity 018391
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with AntiHIV activity 017975
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antileishmanic Activity 018273
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antileukemic activity 019585
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with AntiPMS Activity 018419
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antitubercular activity 018399
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Candidicide activity 018389
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Candidicide Activity 021073
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Metal chelating ability from FERULIC ACID - PART 2 018254
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Metal-chelator activity 018064
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Neuroprotective activity 019583
- Dr Duke's list of plants with vasodilatory activity 012388
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Vulnerary activity 018927
- Dr Duke's list of the top 20 plants containing Vitamin C 017964
- Dr Duke's top 40 plants containing Boron 017974
- Gooseberries and blackcurrants as a source of GLA 012369
- Mead - Melomel 020938
- Mrs Grieve on Black currants 005546
- Nicotine, coffee, cannabis and dopamine 005772
- Nuts and berries for health 005536
- Phytoestrogenic activity of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) anthocyanins is mediated through estrogen receptor alpha 017890