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  • From: dwoodard@becon.org
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Black currants - long
  • Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2004 05:40:08 -0500 (EST)

Among the older black currants I have tried Boskoop Giant
which had quite a pleasant flavour fresh. Several others I tried at the
same time did not. This was about twenty years ago.

I have read that Boskoop Giant blooms early and yield is sensitive to
wind and cold, I imagine a sheltered spot with plenty of bees would be
helpful. I have also read that there are several clones of Boskoop Giant
around some of which are shy bearing while others are prolific.
I seem to recall seeing Boskoop Giant in at least one catalogue from a
Canadian Prairie nursery within the last few years. I think Humber
Nurseries by Toronto used to carry it years ago.

Recently I tried Wellington fresh when fully ripe. I found the flavour
rather "strong" with an unpleasant tinge to it but on the whole I enjoyed
the experience and ate as many as I found on the young bush, My tolerance
may have something to do with my age, 62; perhaps my taste buds are not
quite as sensitive as they used to be.

For Kevin Bradley, there is not a standard type of old European black
currant which tastes good fresh. There are a large number of the older
cultivars a few of which have a good fresh taste while most do not,
according to my reading. Lawrence Hills of the Henry Doubleday Research
Institute (England) used to classify black currents by fresh flavour in
his books and pamphlets, but I have lost all of them I had, and Mr. Hills
died several years ago. You can see usually see his books listed at
http://www.bookfinder.com .

Apparently black currants have mostly been a fruit for preserves and
juice as far as the general public is concerned.

Black currants have a high vitamin C content, 200 to 250 milligrams per
100 grams of fruit varying with the cultivar. They also have an unusually
large content of minerals and other vitamins. The seed contains the same
special essential fatty acid derivative/protaglandin precursor, as evening
primrose oil, and blackcurrant seed oil is sold for the same purpose. As
the seeds are very small, hardly noticeable, and are eaten with the fruit
fresh or as jam, this is an extra benefit. I have no idea how well they
are digested.

I have read that commercial black currrant juice/syrup usually contains
about 40 mg./100gm. vitamin C. Besides the English Ribena the supermarkets
in St. Catharines carry a Polish brand of bottled syrup and one of juice
in a tetrapack.

My knowledge of the nutritional value of blackcurrants is mostly derived
from Lawrence Hills' writings and from Werner Schuphan's book "Nutritional
Values of Crops and Plants" which also lists the Vitamin C content of many
European apple cultivars.

Consort, Coronet and Crusader were bred by Agriculture Canada at Ottawa.

According to the second (1972) edition of Brooks and Olmo's "Register of
New Fruit and Nut Varieties", Consort, Coronet and Crusader are all the
results of crosses between Ribes ussuriense and a cultivated black currant
"Kerry" I think of North American, probably Canadian breeding (though I'm
not sure) probably mostly if not all of R. nigrum (European) ancestry.

B & O give Consort's ancestry as Kerry x Ribes ussuriense which I think
means that Kerry was the seed parent and R. ussuriense the pollen parent.
Coronet and Crusader are given as Ribes ussuriense x Kerry.

Other info:

Name..........Tested as.....Selected....Introduced

Crusader......Ottawa 381......1942.........1948

Coronet.......Ottawa 393......1943.........1948

Consort.......Ottawa 396......1944.........1952

B & O also say of Consort, "flavour strong, ripens late",
while Coronet and Crusader are each described as "resembles
standard black currant varieties".

Elsehwere I have read that Coronet and Crusader are better flavoured
than Consort but are self-sterile and require a pollinator (each other)
while Consort is self-fertile and can be grown alone.

I seem to recall that Jules Janick's book on fruit breeding published
in the early 70's ("Advances in Fruit Breeding"?) contained a chapter on
currant breeding with a good deal of historical information.

I like black currants very much.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario




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