Redcurrant

Appearance

The flowers are inconspicuous yellow-green, in pendulous 4–8 cm racemes, maturing into bright red translucent edible berries about 8–12 mm diameter, with 3-10 berries on each raceme. An established bush can produce 3-4 kilos of berries from mid to late summer.

Uses

With maturity, the tart flavour of redcurrant fruit is slightly greater than its blackcurrant relative, but with the same approximate sweetness. The albino variant of redcurrant, often referred to as white currant, has the same tart flavour but with greater sweetness. Although frequently cultivated for jams and cooked preparations, much like the white currant, it is often served raw or as a simple accompaniment in salads, garnishes, or drinks when in season.

In the United Kingdom, redcurrant jelly is a condiment traditionally served with lamb in a Sunday roast. It is essentially a jam and is made in the same way, by adding the redcurrants to sugar and boiling.

In France, the highly rarefied and hand-made Bar-le-duc or Lorraine jelly is a spreadable preparation traditionally made from white currants or alternatively red currants.

In Scandinavia and Schleswig-Holstein, it is often used in fruit soups and summer puddings. In Germany it is also used in combination with custard or meringue as a filling for tarts. In Linz, Austria, it is the most commonly used filling for the Linzer torte. It can be enjoyed in its fresh state without the addition of sugar.

In German-speaking areas, syrup or nectar derived from the red currant is added to soda water and enjoyed as a refreshing drink named "Johannisbeerschorle". It is so named because the redcurrants are said to ripen first on St. John's Day, also known as Midsummer Day, June 24.

In Russia, redcurrants are ubiquitous and used in jams, preserves, compotes and desserts; while leaves have many uses in traditional medicine.

{| class="infobox" style=" font-size: 88%; text-align: left; width: 22em; line-height: 1.5em"
|+ style="font-size: 125%; font-weight: bold" | Currants, red and white, raw

! colspan=2 style="text-align: center" | Nutritional value per 100 g

|- style="background-color: #e0e0e0"
! Energy
| 234 kJ
|-
! Carbohydrates
| 13.8 g
|-

! - Sugars
| 7.37 g
|-

! - Dietary fiber
| 4.3 g
|-

! Fat
| 0.2 g
|-

! Protein
| 1.4 g
|-

| Thiamine
| 0.04 mg
|-
| Riboflavin
| 0.05 mg
|-
| Niacin
| 0.1 mg
|-
| Pantothenic acid
| 0.064 mg
|-
| Vitamin B6
| 0.07 mg
|-
| Folate
| 8 μg
|-

| Choline
| 7.6 mg
|-
| Vitamin C
| 41 mg
|-

| Vitamin E
| 0.1 mg
|-

| Vitamin K
| 11 μg
|-
| Calcium
| 33 mg
|-
| Iron
| 1 mg
|-
| Magnesium
| 13 mg
|-
| Manganese
| 0.186 mg
|-
| Phosphorus
| 44 mg
|-
| Potassium
| 275 mg
|-
| Sodium
| 1 mg
|-
| Zinc
| 0.23 mg
|-

|- style="background-color: #e0e0e0; font-size: 90%; text-align: center; padding: 4pt; line-height: 1.25em"
| colspan=2 | Percentages are roughly approximatedusing US recommendations for adults.Source:
|}