They’re home grown, healthy and delicious – and in season now. Storing. On the savoury front, they go well with game, so it’s worth freezing a few trays and waiting until autumn brings its venison. Appearing as they do for only a few weeks in British summertime, blackcurrants are often considered to have a short season. Like many fruit crops and woody plants, blackcurrants require a period of chilling before they start to grow in spring. By familiarizing ourselves with the UK’s growing seasons you can choose the best fresh foods to eat for the time of year. Warmer winters may not provide sufficient chilling for blackcurrants in the UK, delaying the start of the growing season and resulting in reduced yields and lower fruit quality, researchers have found. The fruit is only in season for a few weeks in Britain during the summer, so it’s important to make the most of blackcurrants while they’re around, and we don’t just mean by drinking as much Ribena as you can. Frozen free flowing currants should possess a clean delicate natural favour of the blackcurrant with no off flavours present. Especially if the strawberries are plentiful. Fruits in season in December. The most intensely coloured and flavoured of all currants, blackcurrants are highly aromatic and have a delicious tart flavour. It keeps some of the bubbles, making a light pudding, perfect for summer days. Buy any 4 or more bulk boxes (10/12/13/15kg) and save 5% (discount applied at checkout) . Less 'bits' in the finished jam. Find out how to select and prepare blackcurrants and what you can make with them. “They have the right levels of naturally occurring pectin and acid,” she says. Stir in the gelatine powder, mixing well to dissolve all the powder. Jams aside, her top tip is to use redcurrants and blackcurrants in a summer pudding, along with strawberries and raspberries, packed into a pudding basin lined with a good white loaf. Serve with the jellies, decorated with small mint sprigs. Lots is strawberries still around. “They have four times more vitamin C in them than oranges, weight for weight,” she points out. Chill until set, approx 1 hour. Blackcurrants have been hailed as a homegrown superfood, with no air miles or expensive extraction to worry about. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Add the elderflower bubbly. Wait for a minute or two to let the mixture settle, then dab away any froth with kitchen paper. They are individually quick frozen, strigged (to remove the stalks), hand selected and packed. Will green gage plums ripen abit more once picked. When picking ripe fruit, sometimes unripe fruit is dislodged and I don't want to discard it. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Due to the climate and soil conditions in Herefordshire blackcurrants thrive. For more on the many health benefits of this wonderful fruit, visit www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk. WHETHER you pop them in smoothies, make them into a compote or serve with roast duck, blackcurrants, which are in season throughout the summer months and available frozen the rest of … Methods are more sophisticated these days, but it’s all still done by hand. @Katey - it's never too late! We’re well acquainted with blackcurrants made into juice. As much as they are loved for their tart flavour, blackcurrants can’t compete with sweeter berries, especially when it comes to snacking on uncooked berries, as we do with punnets of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Blackcurrants are also a very fine mixer if you enjoy a cocktail or two. Tart and aromatic blackcurrants are at their best in summer. If you grow your own fruit you will look forward to huge harvests of delicious fresh fruit. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Ribena is trying to manage Britain’s unpredictable weather patterns by sourcing blackcurrants from across the country, from Kent to Scotland. Can you ripen blackcurrants off the vine? So why have blackcurrants been neglected, while blueberries and gojis get all the glory? Meanwhile, make the compôte: gently warm the blackcurrants, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and water in a pan until the blackcurrants just start to soften and release a little of their juice. Share Your Story, Join the Discussion or Seek Advice... Tree Dressing: Traditions, Myths and Modern Practices. Sweet, juicy, plump and purple, blackcurrants are a joy. Finding the right window of opportunity to harvest odd fruit here and there is difficult. Blackcurrants tend to ripen in July, some of the latest varieties will fruit into August and a few very early varieties may be ripe by late June. One of the most popular drinks in the UK is called Ribena. 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