North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[rmelrose@danvilleVT.net]

> I've got a two-year-old Rovada red currant that was loaded with berries, 
> and they all came ripe at the same time. It seemed to be struggling a 
> bit last year, and was still small this spring, but it's really taken 
> off now. I've also got a Pink Champagne currant, which was loaded with 
> pink berries, all of which ripened in a bunch, and a Primus white 
> currant, which looks good, but hasn't produced many berries yet. (All of 
> these are two years old.)
> 
> My biggest problem is... what do I do with the fruit? They're a bit too 
> sour to eat fresh, and I don't eat jam or jelly. I had my Mom make a pie 
> out of the pink currants, but that wasn't particularly good (and it had 
> an ugly color - the red currants would have been better for that). I 
> don't think currants would be especially good on my oatmeal in the 
> morning, either, would they? So for now, they're just sitting in the 
> freezer. It was probably a mistake to plant them, but I was curious.


Well Bill, no doubt it is all very much a matter of taste, but I find red
(and white/champagne) currants are excellent eaten fresh in combination
with ripe peaches etc. It is a combination I always look forward to; even
though I cannot grow the peaches myself. This year I am also trying a red
currant version of cassis, too early to know how that will work out (and I
also happen to like red currant jelly with lamb). So far the best red here
has been `van Tets', I must try Rovada. Sometimes (like this year) `Red Lake'
does alright but mostly they fruit lightly. `Red Start' is a bit better.

Richard
VT 4a.