How Do You Know When A Blackcurrant Is Ripe?

Answer: Currants typically ripen over a 2 to 3 week period. Fully ripe currants possess the characteristic color of the variety (red, white, or black), are slightly soft and juicy. For jellies and jams, harvest currants before the berries are fully ripe.

How do I know when black currants are ready to pick?

Blackcurrant fruits are ready for picking in the mid to late summer (July and August) and are at their best about seven days after they have turned blue-black. They can be gathered individually or, if you want them to stay fresh for a little longer, you can harvest them as whole trusses.

What does a ripe blackcurrant look like?

When ripe, black currants are dark purple in color, with glossy skins. A well established black currant bush can produce up to 10-pounds of berries per year.

How long do blackcurrants take to ripen?

Blackcurrants tend to ripen in July, some of the latest varieties will fruit into August and a few very early varieties may be ripe by late June. So it is possible to have a 6 week picking season for Blackcurrants if you are canny with your choice of variety.

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.

Do you have to top and tail blackcurrants?

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 blackcurrants 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.

Can you ripen blackcurrants?

Any not-quite ripe blackcurrants can be left to ripen by placing the bottom of the branches in a bucket of water.

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. 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. Don’t forget to seal the bag or the container tightly.

Should you prune blackcurrant bushes?

Pruning information
Blackcurrants crop best on strong young growth made the previous year, so they are usually grown as a multi-stemmed bush, with stems sprouting from the base. To encourage new stems, they need to be pruned annually in winter. Standard-trained blackcurrants are useful if space is limited.

How do you harvest and store blackcurrants?

Keep blackcurrants in the fridge for up to 5 days.
After growing and harvesting blackcurrants, you have less than a week to eat them fresh. 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.

Do blackcurrants fruit every year?

Blackcurrant fruits off both first- and second-year growth; by the third year, branches tend to become unproductive, which is the stuff to cut out.

Can you freeze blackcurrants?

Yes, both red and black currants freeze very well. Just follow the simple steps below to prepare and freeze your currants to use in baking recipes or to make jelly from later.

Do blackcurrants grow on old wood?

Blackcurrants are grown as a ‘stool’, with most shoots arising from ground level or close to it. One-year-old shoots are the most productive. Two-year-old wood will produce some fruit but older wood becomes non-productive, so each year some stems need to be removed to make space for younger ones.

What is the sweetest black currant?

Ebony
Blackcurrant ‘Ebony’ is the sweetest blackcurrant! This outstanding dessert variety is so exceptionally sweet that it can be eaten straight from the bush when fully ripe. Heavy crops of large, firm currants – each one up to twice the size of a normal blackcurrant – are produced for harvesting from early to mid July.

How do you ripen fruit after picking?

Some fruits will continue to ripe after picked. Ripen these fruits at room temperature. Once they are ripe, refrigerate. To speed up the ripening of these fruits, put them in a ripening bowl or in a loosely closed brown paper bag at room temperature.

What is the best black currant?

Best Black Currant Varieties

• Ben Connan. Out of all of the varieties, ‘Ben Connan’ black currants is the heaviest producing one, with up to 7 pounds of berries off of one plant.
• Crusader.
• Consort.
• Ebony.
• Titania.
• Select the Right Spot in Your Garden.
• The Right Soil for Black Currants.
• When to Plant Black Currants.

How do I prepare blackcurrants?

How to prepare 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 long do black currants last in the fridge?

Always harvest blackcurrants on dry days to avoid fungi developing quickly which will spoil the fruits. Store in the fridge and remove any damaged fruits (eat them straight away!). The fruits should keep in the fridge for around four days.

Can you cook blackcurrants from frozen?

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!