Red currants are small, round fruits that bear a resemblance to grapes. These sweet, juicy berries are commonly used in jams, sauces and various baked goods, or are simply eaten by hand as a snack. Akin to gooseberries, red currants come equipped with a plenitude of vitamins and minerals.
What are currants and what do they taste like?
What Are Currants? Currants are dried grapes. They are used in many dishes such as pies, breads, and jams. What Do They Taste Like? They taste like raisins but are smaller. What Do Currants Taste Like? Currants are dried grape juice. They are used in various dishes such as pie, breads, and jam. What Do They Look Like? Difference between Currants and Raisins
Are currants the same as cherries?
What are the differences between Currant and Cherry? Currant is higher in Vitamin C, Fiber, Iron, and Vitamin K, yet Cherry is higher in Vitamin A. Currant's daily need coverage for Vitamin C is 34% more. Currant has 5 times more Vitamin K than Cherry. While Currant has 11µg of Vitamin K, Cherry has ...
What kind of grapes are currants made out of?
Currants, also known as “Zante currants,” are tiny, dried grapes. Despite their name, currants are actually made by drying a variety of small, seedless grapes called “Black Corinth” and ...
Are currants and raisins the same thing?
Typically, raisins are larger than currants. They are dark brown with a quirky, wrinkled texture. Raisins are soft, chewy and naturally sweet. Currants and raisins are very similar in nutritional value. They closely match in carbohydrate count, protein, fiber, sugar, potassium and vitamins C and K.
Are currants and grapes in the same family?
Raisins (dried grapes) and Black Currants are entirely different fruits from very different botanical families. Grapes belong to the genus Vitus and Currants belong to the genus Ribes.
What type of fruit is a red currant?
berryThe redcurrant is the fruit of a shrub. It is a rounded berry of translucent red coloured-skin and bittersweet taste. Apart from the red currant, there exist other species like the black currant, the white currant and the gooseberry, that are differentiated for the type of fruit they bear.
Is black currant a berry or grape?
The blackcurrant, a small, tart berry, that when married with sugar can be made into jams, sauces, syrups, fruit drinks, and purple candy, is popular across Europe. But most Americans struggle to describe its flavor.
Is there another name for red currants?
The redcurrant or red currant (Ribes rubrum) is a member of the genus Ribes in the gooseberry family. It is native to western Europe.
Are currants dried grapes?
Currants are the smallest dried grape, smaller than both raisins and sultanas.
Why are red currants illegal?
In the early 1900s, currants were banned in the northern United States to prevent the spread of white pine blister rust. However for most states, including Utah, the ban was lifted in 1966. Most red currant varieties are actually immune to the disease, with black currant being much more susceptible.
Can you eat red currants raw?
Find out more about redcurrants, including how to select, store, prepare and cook them. These shiny little berries grow low on bushes, hanging from the branches like rows of miniature gems. Their flavour is a little tart but they're still sweet enough to be eaten raw, so long as they're sprinkled with plenty of sugar.
Do blackcurrants taste like grapes?
Blackcurrant is a berry grown in Europe that looks like a small purple-black grape. (But it's not a grape!) When fresh, it tastes tart like a passion fruit with a dark berry flavor not unlike raspberry, but it's distinctly earthy. Dried blackcurrant is sweet like grapes with a raisin-like quality.
Are red currants edible?
Red currants produce large clusters of sweet/tart fruit great for fresh eating.
Are red currants toxic?
Black, white, and red true currants (Ribes nigrum and Ribes rubrum) are a type of berry and therefore considered non-toxic, but they may cause minor stomach upset in large quantities.
How healthy are red currants?
Red or black, the currant is a good vitamin source. The red currant must be preferably ripe and fresh, so as to preserve all its nutritional value. Its content in flavonoids and vitamin B helps to fortify the capillaries, protecting the body tissues and preventing arteriosclerosis, apoplexy and diabetes.
What can I do with my red currants?
Redcurrants, with their high pectin content, make beautiful jellies full of vigour that are perfect on toast or stirred into gravies and sauces to be served with lamb and game. Fresh redcurrants are essential in summer pudding, but also marry beautifully with strawberries for a cool, elegant, healthy dessert.
Are red currants a berry?
True currants are small berries that grow on shrubs and are more like gooseberries. Fresh black, red, pink, or white currants, as well as dried black currants, can be enjoyed in various ways. With a sweet and bright acidic berry flavor, currants are delicious when eaten fresh.
Can you eat red currants raw?
Find out more about redcurrants, including how to select, store, prepare and cook them. These shiny little berries grow low on bushes, hanging from the branches like rows of miniature gems. Their flavour is a little tart but they're still sweet enough to be eaten raw, so long as they're sprinkled with plenty of sugar.
How healthy are red currants?
Red or black, the currant is a good vitamin source. The red currant must be preferably ripe and fresh, so as to preserve all its nutritional value. Its content in flavonoids and vitamin B helps to fortify the capillaries, protecting the body tissues and preventing arteriosclerosis, apoplexy and diabetes.
Are red currants edible?
Red currants produce large clusters of sweet/tart fruit great for fresh eating.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients, which consist of protein, carbohydrates and fat, make up the calorie content of a food. Most of the calories in red currants come from carbohydrates. A 100-gram serving, which is 7/8 cup, contains about 14 grams of carbs, 1.5 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat and 56 calories.
Fiber
High-fiber foods take longer to digest, filling you up and reducing your chances of overeating. Additionally, soluble fiber helps reduce cholesterol and also keeps blood sugar levels on an even keel. Berries such as red currants contain soluble fiber, nearly 4 1/2 grams per 7/8-cup serving.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important for collagen production and also boosts immune function. Collagen is a protein responsible for the strength and composition of connective tissue and skin. Red currants have a rich amount of vitamin C, with a 7/8-cup serving providing 68 percent of the recommended daily intake.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps with blood clotting. Red currants have a generous amount of this vitamin. A 7/8 cup-serving contains 14 percent of the recommended daily value. Add a handful of red currants to a spinach salad to get even more vitamin K.
Iron
Iron is important for oxygen transportation to the muscles and other areas of the body. Meat and meat derivatives are highest in this mineral, but certain fruits have a moderate amount, too. Red currants contain 6 percent of the recommended daily value of iron. Add a serving of currants to your bowl of oatmeal for an iron-rich breakfast.
Antioxidants
Free radicals are renegade cells that break down healthy cells in the body and are responsible for raising the risk of heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions. Antioxidants fight free radicals in the body.
A recap on differences between Currant and Grape
Currant has more Vitamin C, Fiber, Iron, and Copper, however Grape is higher in Manganese.
Mineral Comparison
Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food
Vitamin Comparison
Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food
Comparison summary table
Pay attention to the most right column. It shows the amounts side by side, making it easier to realize the amount of difference.
Vitamin and Mineral Summary Scores
The summary score is calculated by summing up the daily values contained in 300 grams of the product. Obviously the more the food fulfills human daily needs, the more the summary score is.
Macronutrients Comparison
Macronutrient comparison charts compare the amount of protein, total fats, and total carbohydrates in 300 grams of the food. The displayed values show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of food.
What are currants?
If you are not familiar with currants, it's likely because they are not incredibly common in grocery stores. At one point, per the Tampa Bay Times , black currants were banned in the United States because they could spread fungus that harmed pine trees.
What's the difference between red and black currants?
A major difference between red and black currants is the taste. According to Fine Cooking, black currants are the sweetest type of currant, "red currants are bracingly tart and a bit sweet, like a sugar-kissed cranberry," and white currants fall somewhere in the middle.
Are red and black currants interchangeable?
According to Mary Dirty Face Farm, currants are mostly interchangeable. The farm's website says that you can swap out red, white, and pink currants in a recipe because, even though they have different flavors, they are more similar to one another than black currants.
How do you use red and black currants?
Other than jam, there are a wide variety of uses for currants, and they can go in both sweet and savory dishes. Black currants pair easily with game meats, like duck or venison, especially when made into a sauce. Black currants can also be used in sweets like a berry crumble.
Black Currants
Dusky black currants are the connoisseur's berry. Black currants are sour, but also complex, with a trace of tannins, making them very versatile in the kitchen.
Red and White Currants
Red and white currants are smaller than black currants, and they look like miniature bunches of shiny grapes. Like black currants, they are tart, but their flavor is more frank and straightforward (and perhaps less challenging, minus the musk). When ripe, their skins are tightly filled with a jelly-like clear pulp and seeds.
How to Store Currants
Currants keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week (covered) and require a quick rinse before being used. All currants freeze very well, so buy as many as you can and freeze them in small bags or containers for later use.
They May Offer the Same Health Benefits
Raisins, sultanas and currants benefit your health in a number of ways.
They Have Similar Uses in the Kitchen
Raisins, sultanas and currants are all incredibly versatile and can be eaten alone, as a snack or added to rice dishes, stews, salads, oatmeal and baked goods.
Which Type Should You Choose?
Raisins, sultanas and currants are all highly nutritious and make good substitutes for one another.
The Bottom Line
Raisins, sultanas and currants are different types of dried grapes that are rich in fiber, potassium and antioxidants.
Currant Bushes: Edible Landscaping for Shady Areas
There aren’t a lot of options for growing edible plants in the shade, so when I learned that currants can be full and productive in the shade, it was love at first sight. I replaced the traditional yew bushes lining our front porch with a row of currant bushes.
Pretty in the Edible Landscape
Black currant bushes are more vigorous than red currants. They are fuller and more upright with straighter branches, and grow to 5-6 feet tall and wide. The leaves are bigger and the branches provide more interest in the winter because the red buds are bigger.
Yield of Currant Bushes
Annually, each of my red currant bushes produce about 2 pounds of berries, while my black currant bushes each produce about 4 pounds of berries.
Harvesting Currants
Harvest Season: Harvest the berries in the early summer. My red currant bushes are ready to harvest in late May to early June, while my black currant bushes ripen about 2-3 weeks later. They’re both harvestable for about a month.
Pests and Diseases of Currant Bushes
They are susceptible to aphids and white pine rust, so don’t plant near white pines. Because of their ability to pass on the disease, they’re prohibited in some states.
Pruning
Prune currant bushes in late winter when they’re dormant to achieve good berry production.
Taste and Uses
Both black and red currants are very tart when eaten fresh, and both have seeds. But they’re high in vitamin C and antioxidants (good-for-you stuff!).
