Currants belong to the genus Ribes. The name currant is thought to have originated in Corinth in Greece. In ancient times this city exported 'currants' to many European countries. These were in fact not currants at all, but small dried grapes, which we know as raisins today. The confusion most likely arose because of the similarity in size and colour between the two. The three most popular varieties are red (Ribes rubrum), black (Ribes nigrum), and white currants. The black and red varieties are more popular than white currants. The deciduous shrub grows to a height of about 1.5m (5ft). They grow between eight and thirty flowers on branches that are at least a year old. The fruits are usually ready to be harvested in mid-summer.

Currants belong to the genus Ribes. The name currant is thought to have originated in Corinth in Greece. In ancient times this city exported 'currants' to many European countries. These were in fact not currants at all, but small dried grapes, which we know as raisins today. The confusion most likely arose because of the similarity in size and colour between the two.

The three most popular varieties are red (Ribes rubrum), black (Ribes nigrum), and white currants. The black and red varieties are more popular than white currants. The deciduous shrub grows to a height of about 1.5m (5ft). They grow between eight and thirty flowers on branches that are at least a year old. The fruits are usually ready to be harvested in mid-summer.

History

Currants have been cultivated in Europe since the early 16^th century. The colonists brought currants with them to the Americas and in the US production started during the latter part of the 18^th century.

At the beginning of the 20^th century all varieties of currants were banned in the United States for many years. The reason? It hosted and spread a disease affecting pine trees, which threatened the thriving lumber industry of that time. This ban stayed in place until 1966 when jurisdiction was passed to individual states to decide whether they want to allow currant cultivation or not. Despite modern varieties of currants being resistant or even immune to pine rust, the ban is still in place in individual states like Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine!

If you live in the USA you should therefore first contact the relevant government department to make sure you are allowed to cultivate currants before starting to grow them.

During WWII currants became very scarce in the USA, because they were mostly imported from countries which opposed the US in the war. The UK encouraged Black currant production during the war. This was used to produce currant syrup and cordial and given for free to school children as a source of Vitamin C.

In Europe there was never such a ban and currants have therefore remained popular over time. It comes as no surprise therefore that the bulk of world production comes from Europe and Russia at the moment.

Uses

Currants are an excellent source of Vitamin C. In fact their Vitamin C content is more than four times higher than that of oranges.  A single 150g serving of fresh currants provide 100% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. They also make a very healthy and tasty fruit juice.

Currants are very sweet. They therefore make great preserves, jams, juices, fruit pure and even pies. Because of their rich colour and sweet taste they are often added to other dishes to enhance the colour and taste. Adding currants to your fruit salads or desserts will have your guests coming back for more time and again.

Not many people outside Europe are probably aware that you can make brandy from currants. In fact Noir de Bourgogne - a black currant cultivar – is used to make a very unique French brandy.

Scientific research has found black currants to be very effective in reducing inflammation and swelling. This is because they contain pigments called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have also been found to have health benefits against diabetes, bacterial infection and cancer as well as aging and neurological diseases.  No wonder then that they are becoming more popular now a days.

Storing currants

Currants can easily be frozen and kept for long periods of time. If not frozen they should be used within one or two days, or within 7 days if kept refrigerated.

Growing currants

Despite the previous ban on currants in the US, many home gardeners are busy restoring the popularity of this lovely fruit in the US. It is easy to grow and forms a very attractive addition to your garden landscape.

Something to keep in mind is that cross pollination is not required for red currants to bear fruit, while it is necessary for black currants. Having said that – cross pollination will increase both the quality and quantity of your red currant harvest.

Currants are extremely hardy plants. They can endure winter temperatures of up to -35°C. The flowers also handle frost quite well – they will withstand temperature of -0.5 to 2.0°C when open and -3 to -5°C when closed.  Once they bear fruit, the small fruit will withstand temperatures of up to -3°C.

Currants like a lot of sun – the more the better. Do not, therefore, plant them under trees or behind walls where they will be in the shade most of the time.

They like well-drained soil rich in organic matter. They will flourish in soil with a pH level of between 5.5 and 7.0. If the soil is too acidic you will have to add lime.

When you plant black currants, space them about 1.5m apart and allow 3m to 3.5m between rows. Red currants should be planted more or less 1.35m apart with 2.5m between rows. For a small garden, where you will hand-harvest the fruits, it is possible to make the distance between rows smaller. If you lack space, you could plant them much close together, but this will inhibit the growth of the individual plants and they will therefore be much smaller. This will work well if you want a striking currant hedge.

Something to keep in mind is that currants have quite shallow roots – the majority of roots will be found between 20cm and 40cm below ground level. Be careful therefore not to damage the roots if you should for any reason be digging close to the stems.

Once at a fruit-producing age, both red and black currants have a production life of between 10 and 20 years – red currants generally longer than black currants.

Planting currants

The best way to start growing currants is to bring a visit to your local nursery. They will be able to advise you on which variety is best for your soil type, what type of compost to use etc. You could also start growing them from cuttings or root cuttings you get from a friend if you are lucky enough to have such a friend!

Currants strike well from cuttings, and it’s a cheap and easy way to get plants. As the leaves are dying back in Autumn (Fall) select branches that are over a year old (brown braches rather than green) and show no signs of disease. Cut off 30cm lengths of branch and cut off any leaves that left. You should have at least 6-8 buds on each cutting. Bury the cuttings with at least 2-3 buds above soil level and 4 or more buds below the soil level. You can plant the cuttings either straight into your garden soil, or into deep pots in a free draining media.  After 12 months you should have healthy plants starting to grow.

If you’ve bought a plant from a nursery in a pot, your first step is to dig a hole in the garden deep enough to fit the roots and to enable the plant to be covered with soil to the same level it has been in its pot. Loosen the soil below the roots somewhat to make it easier for them to get a grip on their new environment.

Mix a generous amount of good quality, well rotted compost into the soil. Place the plant into the hole making sure not to damage the roots. Then backfill the hole with good damp soil. Use your feet to firm the ground around the stem and ensure there are no air pockets. Finally give it a good dose of water.

Then place 5cm to 10cm of straw, sawdust, compost or other form of organic matter around each plant to preserve moisture and to prevent the growth of weeds. Mulch well every year to reduce weed competition, water evaporation, and to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil, this is especially good for currants because of their very shallow root system.

If you want to maximize fruit production, you will have to prune your currants. After the first year remove all but about 8-12 of the strongest, healthiest branches. The next year once again remove the weaker branches and repeat the process the year after.

Mature currants bear the majority of their fruit on canes that are 2 or 3 years old. At the beginning of spring you should therefore remove all old, dry branches and leave the young ones to bear fruit.

Currants also form good pot plants.  Why just have indoor plants for ornamental purposes if you could also have them serve the purpose of providing you with delicious fruits to use in juices and a variety of dishes? Just make sure you use good quality potting soil bought from a nursery.

Caring for your plants

Currants require good quality nutrients in the soil. They especially need a lot of potassium. It's therefore recommended that you use good quality seaweed compost or seaweed extract. If the leaves turn brown in summertime this is a sign that the plant is suffering from potassium deficiency.

A good time to add compost is at the beginning of spring and again when they start bearing fruit, because the fruiting process requires a lot of nutrients from the soil.

Once they start to bear fruit, you will suddenly have a lot of competition – birds love currants, and they won't wait for them to get ripe. You may therefore need some form of cover, like an old net curtain. You should also be able to buy purpose-made nets from your local nursery.

Pests and Disease

Make sure you buy a variety that is resistant or immune to white pine blister rust, most commercially available varieties are the resistant varieties.

Common pests include clear-winged borers, gall mite, aphids, currant worm and spider mites. Plants are also susceptible to root fungus, Phytophthora, reversion virus (mainly black currant), Anthracnose and Botrytis.

(This is an article from within the first edition of the Backyard Farming Magazine. The complete magazine is available as an electronic download by clicking here.)