Editing Blackcurrant

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae}}
{{Other uses|Black currant (disambiguation)}}
{{For|blackcurrant liqueur|Crème de cassis}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|cs1-dates=ly|date=March 2021}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Blackcurrant
|image = Ribes nigrum a1.JPG
|image_caption = Berries
|genus = Ribes
|species = nigrum
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true
|''Botrycarpum nigrum'' <small>(L.) A. Rich.</small>
|''Grossularia nigra'' <small>(L.) Rupr.</small>
|''Ribes kolymense'' {{small|(Trautv.) Kom.}}
|''Ribes nigrum'' forma ''chlorocarpum'' <small>([[Franz Ludwig Späth|Späth]]) [[Alfred Rehder|Rehder]]</small>
|''Ribes nigrum'' var. ''chlorocarpum'' <small>Späth</small>
|''Ribes nigrum'' var. ''sibiricum'' <small>[[Wolfgang Wolf (botanist)|W.Wolf]]</small>
|''Ribes cyathiforme'' <small>[[Antonina Ivanovna Pojarkova|Pojark.]]</small>
|''Ribes olidum'' <small>[[Conrad Moench|Moench]]</small>
|''Botrycarpum obtusilobum'' <small>Opiz</small>
|''Ribes nigrum'' var. ''europaeum'' <small>Jancz.</small>
|''Ribes nigrum'' var. ''pauciflorum'' <small>(Turcz. ex Ledeb.) Jancz.</small>
|''Ribes pauciflorum'' <small>Turcz. ex Ledeb.</small>
|''Ribesium nigrum'' <small>(L.) Medik.</small>
|synonyms_ref = <ref>{{ThePlantList |id=kew-2426569 |taxon=Ribes nigrum}}</ref>
}}}}

The '''blackcurrant''' ('''''Ribes nigrum'''''), also known as '''black currant''' or '''cassis''',{{Efn|Same in many Romance languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French}} is a [[deciduous]] shrub in the family [[Grossulariaceae]] grown for its edible [[berry|berries]]. It is [[native species|native]] to [[temperate climate|temperate]] parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia, where it prefers damp fertile soils. It is widely cultivated both commercially and domestically.

It is [[winter hardy]], but cold weather at flowering time during the spring may reduce the size of the crop. Bunches of small, glossy black fruit develop along the stems in the summer and can be harvested by hand or by machine.

The raw fruit is particularly rich in [[vitamin C]] and [[polyphenol]]s. Blackcurrants can be eaten raw but are usually cooked in sweet or savoury dishes. They are used to make [[jam]]s, [[Fruit preserves|preserves]], and [[syrup]]s and are grown commercially for the juice market. The fruit is also used to make alcoholic beverages and [[dye]]s.

==Description==

''Ribes nigrum'' is a medium-sized shrub, growing to {{convert|1.5|by|1.5|m|abbr=off|ft|frac=2}}. The [[leaves]] are alternate, simple, {{convert|3|to|5|cm|frac=4|abbr=off}} broad and long with five [[palmate]] lobes and a serrated margin. All parts of the plant are strongly aromatic. The [[flower]]s are produced in [[raceme]]s known as "strigs" up to {{convert|8|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long containing 10–20 flowers, each about {{convert|8|mm|frac=8}} in diameter. Each flower has a hairy [[Sepal|calyx]] with yellow glands, the five lobes of which are longer than the inconspicuous [[petal]]s. There are five [[stamen]]s surrounding the [[Gynoecium|stigma]] and [[Gynoecium|style]] and two fused [[Gynoecium|carpels]].<ref name=NatureGate>{{cite web |url=http://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/puut/black-currant |title=Black currant: ''Ribes nigrum'' |publisher=NatureGate |access-date=2013-09-08}}</ref> The flowers open in succession from the base of the string and are mostly insect [[pollinated]], but some pollen is distributed by the wind. A pollen grain landing on a stigma will germinate and send a slender pollen tube down the style to the [[ovule]]. In warm weather, this takes about 48 hours, but in cold weather, it may take a week, and by that time, the ovule may have passed the stage where it is receptive. If fewer than about 35 ovules are [[fertilised]], the fruit may not be able to develop and will fall prematurely. Frost can damage both unopened and open flowers when the temperature falls below {{convert|-1.9|°C}}. The flowers at the base of the strig are more protected by the foliage and are less likely to be damaged.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/the_blackcurrant_growing.html |title=Flowering |work=The blackcurrant |publisher=The Blackcurrant Foundation |access-date=2013-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917165221/http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/the_blackcurrant_growing.html |archive-date=2013-09-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In midsummer the strigs of green fruit ripen to edible [[Berry (botany)|berries]], very dark purple in colour, almost black, with glossy skins and calyxes at the apex (the calyxes being [[Persistence (botany)|persistent]]), each containing many [[seed]]s. An established bush can produce about {{convert|4.5|kg|0|abbr=off}} of fruit each year.<ref name=RHS/>

Plants from Northern Asia are sometimes distinguished as a separate variety, {{visible anchor|var. sibiricum|text=''Ribes nigrum'' var. ''sibiricum''}}, of which ''R. cyathiforme'' is considered a synonym.<ref>{{GRIN | ''Ribes nigrum'' var. ''sibiricum'' | 316071 | access-date = 2013-06-04}}</ref>

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Black currant in the mountains of Zakamensky district of Buryatia, Russia.jpg|In mountains of [[Buryatia]],&nbsp;[[Russia]]
|Ribes nigrum mustaherukka kukka.jpg|Flowers
|Schwarze Johannisbeeren Makro.jpg|Close-up of berries
}}

=== Phytochemicals ===
[[Polyphenol]] phytochemicals present in the fruit, seeds, and leaves are being investigated for their potential biological activities.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gopalan |first1=A. |last2=Reuben |first2=S. C. |last3=Ahmed |first3=S. |last4=Darvesh |first4=A. S. |last5=Hohmann |first5=J. |last6=Bishayee |first6=A. |year=2012 |title=The health benefits of blackcurrants |url=http://publicatio.bibl.u-szeged.hu/3075/1/2060341%20Gopalan_Food%20and%20Function_2012_GalleyProof.pdf |journal=Food & Function |volume=3 |issue=8 |pages=795–809 |doi=10.1039/c2fo30058c |pmid=22673662}}</ref> Major [[anthocyanin]]s in blackcurrant [[pomace]] {{ndash}} [[delphinidin-3-O-glucoside|delphinidin-3-''O''-glucoside]], [[delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside|delphinidin-3-''O''-rutinoside]], [[cyanidin-3-O-glucoside|cyanidin-3-''O''-glucoside]], and [[cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside|cyanidin-3-''O''-rutinoside]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kapasakalidis |first1=P. G. |last2=Rastall |first2=R. A. |last3=Gordon |first3=M. H. |year=2006 |title=Extraction of polyphenols from processed black currant (''Ribes nigrum'' L.) residues |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=54 |issue=11 |pages=4016–21 |doi=10.1021/jf052999l |pmid=16719528}}</ref> which are retained in the [[juice concentrate]] {{ndash}} are among other polyphenols.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mcdougall |first1=G. J. |last2=Gordon |first2=S. |last3=Brennan |first3=R. |last4=Stewart |first4=D. |year=2005 |title=Anthocyanin-flavanol condensation products from black currant (''Ribes nigrum'' L.) |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=53 |issue=20 |pages=7878–85 |doi=10.1021/jf0512095 |pmid=16190645}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nielsen |first1=I. L. |last2=Haren |first2=G. R. |last3=Magnussen |first3=E. L. |last4=Dragsted |first4=L. O. |last5=Rasmussen |first5=S. E. |year=2003 |title=Quantification of anthocyanins in commercial black currant juices by simple high-performance liquid chromatography. Investigation of their pH stability and antioxidative potency |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=51 |issue=20 |pages=5861–6 |doi=10.1021/jf034004+ |pmid=13129285}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
The blackcurrant is native to northern Europe and Asia.<ref name="AgroAtlas" />

==Cultivation==
{{See also|Blackcurrant production in the United States}}
[[File:Blackcurrant 1.jpg|thumb|Cultivated specimen]]

Cultivation in Europe is thought to have started around the last decades of the 17th century.<ref name=AgroAtlas>{{cite web |url=http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/cultural/Ribes_nigrum_K/ |title=Crops: European Black Currant |author1=Doronina, A. Ju. |author2=Terekhina, N. V. |work=Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds |publisher=AgroAtlas |access-date=2013-06-02}}</ref>

===Site selection and planting===

Blackcurrants can grow well on sandy or heavy loams, or forest soils, as long as their nutrient requirements are met. They prefer damp, fertile but not waterlogged ground and are intolerant of [[drought]]. Although the bushes are winter hardy, [[frost]]s during the flowering period may adversely affect the yield<ref name=AgroAtlas/> and cold winds may restrict the number of flying insects visiting and pollinating the flowers. A [[soil pH]] of about 6 is ideal for blackcurrants and the ground can be limed if the soil is too acidic. Planting is usually done in the autumn or winter to allow the plants to become established before growth starts in the spring,<ref name=Gilbert>{{cite book |title=Soft Fruit Growing |last=Gilbert |first=E. G. |year=1970 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=1445512254 |pages=101–118 }}</ref> but container-grown stock can be planted at any time of year.<ref name=RHS>{{cite web |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/fruit/blackcurrants |title=Grow your own blackcurrants |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=2016-07-14}}</ref>

Two-year-old bushes are usually planted but strong one-year-old stock can also be used. Planting certified stock avoids the risk of introducing [[Plant virus|viruses]]. On a garden scale the plants can be set at intervals of {{convert|1.5|to|1.8|m|abbr=on|frac=2|ft}} or they can be set in rows with planting intervals of {{convert|1.2|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} and row separations of {{convert|2.5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} or more. In the UK, young bushes are generally planted deeper than their initial growing level to encourage new stems to grow from the base.<ref name=Gilbert/>

===Manures and fertilizers===
The blackcurrant requires a number of essential nutrients to thrive; [[nitrogen]] provides strong plant growth and stimulates the production of flower sprigs; [[phosphorus]] aids growth, the setting of fruit and crop yield; [[potassium]] promotes growth of individual shoots and increases the weight of individual fruits; [[magnesium]] is a constituent of [[chlorophyll]] and helps increase yields through interaction with potassium; [[calcium]] is required for cell division and enlargement and is particularly important for young plants and buds.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/the_blackcurrant_growing.html |title=Plant Nutrients |work=The blackcurrant |publisher=The Blackcurrant Foundation |access-date=2013-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917165221/http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/the_blackcurrant_growing.html |archive-date=2013-09-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

An annual spring mulch of well rotted manure is ideal and poultry manure can also be used but needs prior [[compost]]ing with straw or other waste vegetable material. Spent [[mushroom compost]] can be used but care should be taken as it often contains lime and blackcurrants prefer slightly acidic soils. The blackcurrant is a gross feeder and benefits from additional nitrogen, and phosphatic and potash fertilisers should also be applied annually.<ref name=Gilbert/> A balanced [[Fertilizer|artificial fertilizer]] can be used and a 10-10-10 granular product can be spread around the bushes at the rate of {{convert|100|to|240|g|frac=4|abbr=off}} per plant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/mfruit/gooseberries.html |title=Minor fruits: gooseberries and currants |publisher=Department of Horticulture, Cornell University |access-date=2013-09-08}}</ref> Weed growth can be suppressed with an organic mulch such as sawdust, bark, mushroom compost or straw, heavy plastic topped with an organic mulch cover or [[landscape fabric]].<ref name=Gilbert/>

===Pruning===

Blackcurrant fruit is borne primarily on one-year-old shoots. Newly planted bushes should be pruned severely, cutting all shoots back to two buds above ground level. This gives the plant a chance to get properly established before needing to put its energy into producing fruit. The general rule when pruning is to remove all weak shoots and those growing out sideways which may get weighed down when fruiting. The remaining branches should be thinned to remove old unproductive wood and to encourage new shoots. An established bush should not be allowed to become overcrowded and should have about one third of its main branches or stems removed each year.<ref name=Gilbert/> When harvesting by machine, plants with an upright growth habit are encouraged.<ref name=acornorganic>{{cite web |url=http://www.acornorganic.org/pdf/blackcurrantmanual.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905202013/http://www.acornorganic.org/pdf/blackcurrantmanual.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 September 2024 |title=Organic Black Currant Production Manual |publisher=PEI Horticultural Association |access-date=2013-06-02 }}</ref>

===Harvesting===
On a garden scale, the berries should be picked when dry and ripe.<ref name=Gilbert/> Commercially, most harvesting is done mechanically by straddle harvesters. These move continually down the rows, straddling a row of bushes, shaking the branches and stripping off the fruit. The blackcurrants are placed into half tonne bins and to minimise stoppage time, some machines have [[Conveyor system|cross conveyors]] which direct the fruit into continuously moving trailers in the adjoining row. A modern machine can pick up to fifty tonnes of blackcurrants in a day using only one operator and two tractor drivers.<ref name=acornorganic/> The bins should be stored in a cool place. Some fruit is still picked by hand for use in the fresh fruit market.<ref name=acornorganic/>

===Diseases and pests===

''Ribes'' plants are susceptible to several diseases and a number of insect pests. However, new varieties have been or are being developed to overcome some of these problems.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/the_blackcurrant_growing.html |title=Pest and Disease |work=The blackcurrant |publisher=The Blackcurrant Foundation |access-date=2013-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917165221/http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/the_blackcurrant_growing.html |archive-date=2013-09-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Cecidophyopsis ribis#Blackcurrant reversion disease|Reversion]] is a serious disease transmitted by the [[blackcurrant gall mite]] (''Cecidophyopsis ribis''). It causes a decline in yield and is quite widespread in Europe but is rarely encountered on other continents. Symptoms include a modification of leaf shape in summer and swollen buds ("big bud") in winter, each housing thousands of microscopic mites.<ref name=Hummer>{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cor/ribes/ribsymp/stem6.html |title=Black Currant Gall Mite |last1=Hummer |first1=Kim |last2=Postman |first2=Joseph |date=2000-03-01 |work=Currant and Gooseberry Pests |publisher=USDA/ARS [[National Clonal Germplasm Repository]] |access-date=2013-03-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926145635/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cor/ribes/ribsymp/stem6.html |archive-date=2012-09-26 }}</ref> As pest control has limited effectiveness, severely infected bushes should be destroyed. All new plants purchased should be certified as virus-free.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf/blackcurrant-reversion-151472.pdf |title=Which magazine: Blackcurrant reversion |access-date=2012-06-13  |archive-date=2019-08-17  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817171314/https://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf/blackcurrant-reversion-151472.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[White pine blister rust]] (''Cronartium ribicola'') needs two alternate [[Host (biology)|hosts]] to complete its life cycle. One host is plants in the genus ''[[Ribes]]''. On the blackcurrant, it causes the leaves to become pale and later develop tiny orange pustules and sometimes a yellow filamentous coating on some leaves. The fruit crop is little affected but the leaves fall early and growth is slowed the following year. The other host is any of the [[white pine]]s, in which it causes serious disease and mortality for the North American species that have not co-evolved with the rust.<ref name=acornorganic/> As a result, the blackcurrant was [[Blackcurrant production in the United States|banned in the United States]] as a [[Vector (epidemiology)|disease vector]] for much of the 20th century, and even after the federal ban was lifted in 1966, several [[U.S. state]]s continued their own [[Ribes#United States of America|bans]], some of which remain in force as of August 2021. The effectiveness of these restrictions is questionable, since other ''Ribes'' species also host the disease, some are native to North America, and others such as [[red currant]]s and ''[[Ribes uva-crispa]]'' were never banned.{{Citation needed|reason=content needs citation for verification|date=June 2019}}

[[Podosphaera|American gooseberry mildew]] and [[powdery mildew]] can infect the leaves and shoot tips, and [[Botryotinia|botrytis]] may cause the fruit to rot in a wet season. Currant and [[gooseberry]] leaf spot (''Drepanopeziza ribis'') is another disease of blackcurrants, but it is not usually a serious problem as most cultivars now have some resistance.<ref name=Gilbert/>

The blackcurrant leaf midge can cause browning, crimping and distortion of leaves at the tips of shoots but it is seldom a serious problem. The blackcurrant sawfly (''[[Nematus ribesii]]'') lays its eggs on the underside of the leaves and the voracious larvae work their way along the shoots, stripping off leaf after leaf. In a serious attack, the bush can be denuded of leaves. Larvae of the currant borer drill their way along the centres of shoots, which wilt and die back. Other insect pests include [[scale insect]]s, [[aphid]]s and [[earwig]]s.<ref name=acornorganic/>

===Research and cultivars===
[[File:Ribes nigrum 'Vertti'.jpg|thumb|Green currant is a variant of blackcurrant cultivated in [[Finland]]; its berries lack the  dark color and strong aroma typical of blackcurrant. This particular cultivar is 'Vertti'.]]

There are many [[cultivar]]s of blackcurrant. 'Baldwin' was the mainstay of the industry for many years but it has now largely been superseded by more productive and disease-resistant varieties.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening |editor-last=Brickell |editor-first=Christopher |year=1992 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |isbn=9780863189791 |page=415 }}</ref><ref name=varieties>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/growing-blackcurrants/growing/varieties |year=2009 |title=The blackcurrant: Varieties| publisher=The Blackcurrant Foundation |access-date=2016-12-12}}</ref> During the 20th century in Europe, much hybridisation work has been carried out in order to reduce the plant's susceptibility to disease and frost and also to increase yields. This effort centered mainly in Scotland, Poland, and New Zealand.<ref name="bfhistory">{{cite web|title=A History of Blackcurrants|url=http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/growing-blackcurrants/history/history-blackcurrants|publisher=Blackcurrant Foundation|access-date=10 December 2017|date=2017}}</ref>

In Britain the [[Scottish Crop Research Institute]] was tasked with developing new varieties suitable for growing in the north of the country. They produced new cultivars that had greater cold tolerance, especially in the spring, ripened earlier and more evenly and had greater fungal disease resistance. Frost tolerance was improved by selecting for late flowering and [[Molecular genetics|genetic research]] identified genes involved in resistance to gall mite and the blackcurrant reversion virus. 'Ben Lomond' was the first of the 'Ben' varieties and was released in 1975. This was followed by several other cultivars for the juicing industry such as 'Ben Alder' and 'Ben Tirran'. The cultivar 'Ben Hope' was released in 1998 with increased tolerance to gall mite, and in the same year, 'Ben Gairn' became available. It shows resistance to the reversion virus.<ref name=SCRI/> For gardeners and the pick-your-own market, 'Ben Sarek', 'Ben Connan' and 'Big Ben' were introduced and have large, sweet berries.<ref name=varieties/> The cultivars 'Ben Connan'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/56451/Ribes-nigrum-Ben-Connan-(B)/Details | title = ''Ribes nigrum'' 'Ben Connan' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 17 February 2021}}</ref> and 'Big Ben'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=1027 | title = Blackcurrants | publisher = RHS | access-date = 17 February 2021}}</ref> have gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]].<ref name=RHS/> and new varieties are being developed continually to improve frost tolerance, disease resistance, machine harvesting, fruit quality, nutritional content and fruit flavour.<ref name=varieties/>

Varieties producing green fruit, less strongly flavoured and sweeter than typical blackcurrants, are cultivated in [[Finland]], where they are called "greencurrants" (''viherherukka'').<ref>{{cite journal|last=Junnila|first=S.|display-authors=etal|date=1987|title=A green-fruited blackcurrant variety 'Vertti'|journal=Annales Agriculturae Fenniae|volume=26|pages=278–283}}</ref> In Poland, the Research Institute of Horticulture has done work on improving the blackcurrant with regard to disease and pest resistance, fruit quality, adaptations to local conditions and mechanical harvesting. Researchers have crossed various varieties and introduced inter-specific genetic material from the gooseberry (''[[Ribes grossularia]]''), the [[redcurrant]] (''Ribes rubrum'') and the flowering currant (''[[Ribes sanguineum]]''). The resulting offspring were further back-crossed to ''R. nigrum''. Cultivars produced include 'Tisel' and 'Tiben' in 2000 and 'Ores', 'Ruben' and 'Tines' in 2005. Further cultivars 'Polares' and 'Tihope' are being tested.<ref name=Pluta>{{cite web |url=http://www.inhort.pl/home_en.html |title=The blackcurrant breeding program in Poland, aims and recent improvements |last=Pluta |first=Stan |publisher=Research Institute of Horticulture, Skierniewice, Poland |access-date=2013-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917110240/http://www.inhort.pl/home_en.html |archive-date=2013-09-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since 1991, New Zealand has become an important centre for research and development, as its temperate climate is particularly suitable for cultivation of the crop. Breeding programmes are concentrating on yield, large fruit size, consistency of cropping and upright habit.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.plantandfood.co.nz/page/news/video-index/video/blackcurrant-breeding/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209071620/http://www.plantandfood.co.nz/page/news/video-index/video/blackcurrant-breeding/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 February 2013 |title=Blackcurrant breeding plots at Waipuna farm |author=Langford, Geoff |year=2010 |work=Plant and food research |publisher=The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research |access-date=2013-06-03 }}</ref>

In North America, there is a need for this fruit to have resistance to white pine blister rust. New cultivars such as 'Crusader', 'Coronet' and 'Consort' have been developed there by crossing ''R. nigrum'' with ''[[Ribes ussuriense|R. ussuriense]]'' and these show resistance to the disease. However the quality and yield of these varieties are poor as compared to non-resistant strains and only Consort is reliably self-fertile. Back-crossing these varieties to a parent have produced new strains such as 'Titania' that have a higher yield, better disease resistance, are more tolerant of adverse weather conditions and are suitable for machine harvesting.<ref name=VCE>{{cite web |url=http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/438/438-107/438-107.html#L3 |title=Specialty Crop Profile: Ribes (Currants and Gooseberries) |author1=Bratsch, Anthony |author2=Williams, Jerry |publisher=Virginia Cooperative Extension |access-date=2013-09-08 |archive-date=2013-09-09  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909235035/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/438/438-107/438-107.html#L3 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Two new releases from a black currant breeding program in British Columbia, Canada, 'Blackcomb' and 'Tahsis', were selected for their immunity to white pine blister rust and their frost tolerance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.berrycrops.net/|title=McGinnis Berry Crops|website=Berrycrops.net|access-date=2024-03-28}}</ref>

==Uses==
{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Currants, European black, raw
| kJ=264
| water=82 g
| protein=1.4 g
| fat=0.4 g
| carbs=15.4 g
| calcium_mg=55
| iron_mg=1.54
| magnesium_mg=24
| phosphorus_mg=59
| potassium_mg=322
| sodium_mg=2
| zinc_mg=0.27
| manganese_mg=0.256
| vitC_mg=181
| thiamin_mg=0.05
| riboflavin_mg=0.05
| niacin_mg=0.3
| pantothenic_mg=0.398
| vitB6_mg=0.066
| vitE_mg=1
| source_usda=1
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173963/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
=== Nutrition ===
Raw blackcurrants are 82% water, 15% [[carbohydrates]], 1% [[protein]] and 0.4% [[fat]] (table). Per 100&nbsp;g serving providing 63 [[kilocalorie]]s, the raw fruit has high vitamin C content (218% of the [[Daily Value]], DV) and moderate levels of [[iron]] and [[manganese]] (12% DV each). Other nutrients are present in negligible amounts (less than 10% DV, table).

Blackcurrant seed oil is rich in vitamin E and unsaturated [[fatty acids]], including [[alpha-linolenic acid]] and [[gamma-linolenic acid]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Traitler |first1=H. |last2=Winter |first2=H. |last3=Richli |first3=U. |last4=Ingenbleek |first4=Y. |year=1984 |title=Characterization of gamma-linolenic acid in Ribes seed |journal=Lipids |volume=19 |issue=12 |pages=923–8 |doi=10.1007/BF02534727 |pmid=6098796 |s2cid=9631226}}</ref>

===History===
[[Decoction]] of the leaves, bark or roots was used as a traditional remedy.<ref>{{cite web |last=Grieve |first=M. |year=1931 |title=Currant, black |url=http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/curbl131.html |access-date=2013-06-03 |work=Botanical.com: A modern herbal}}</ref>

During [[World War II]], most fruits rich in [[vitamin C]], such as [[orange (fruit)|oranges]], became difficult to obtain in the [[United Kingdom]]. Since blackcurrant berries are a rich source of the vitamin, and blackcurrant plants are suitable for growing in the UK climate, the British Government encouraged their cultivation and soon the yield of the nation's crop increased significantly. From 1942 onwards, blackcurrant syrup was distributed free of charge to children under the age of two. This may have given rise to the lasting popularity of blackcurrant as a flavouring in Britain.<ref>{{cite book |title=Welfare and Well Being: Richard Titmuss's Contribution to Social Policy |last=Titmuss |first=Richard Morris |year=2001 |publisher=The Policy Press |isbn=1861342993 |page=85 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tcs8lxXMJ6AC&pg=PA85 }}</ref> In Britain the commercial crop is completely mechanised and about 1,400 hectares of the fruit are grown, mostly under contract to the juicing industry.<ref name=SCRI>{{cite web |url=http://www.scri.ac.uk/scri/file/individualreports/1998/13BCURRA.PDF |title=Blackcurrant breeding and genetics |last1=Brennan |first1=R. M. |last2=Gordon |first2=S. L. |last3=Lanham |first3=P. G. |publisher=Scottish Crop Research Institute |access-date=2013-09-10 |archive-date=2015-09-24  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924095641/http://www.scri.ac.uk/scri/file/individualreports/1998/13BCURRA.PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref> Commercially, most large-scale cultivation of blackcurrants is done in eastern Europe for the juice and juice concentrate market.<ref name=Pluta/> {{As of|2017}}, major cultivation efforts to improve fruit characteristics occurred in Scotland, New Zealand, and Poland.<ref name=bfhistory/>

Blackcurrants were once popular in the United States as well, but became less common in the 20th century after currant farming was banned in the early 1900s, when blackcurrants, as a [[vector (epidemiology)|vector]] of white pine blister rust, were considered a threat to the U.S. [[logging]] industry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=174038 |title=US Agricultural Research Service Note |publisher=USDA |access-date=2009-12-06}}</ref> The federal ban on growing currants was shifted to the jurisdictions of individual states in 1966, and was lifted in New York State in 2003 through the efforts of horticulturist [[Greg Quinn (farmer)|Greg Quinn]]. As a result, currant growing is making a comeback in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, California, and Oregon.<ref>{{cite news|last=Foderaro |first=Lisa W. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/16/nyregion/is-this-new-york-s-idaho-potato-entrepreneur-has-grand-plans-for-black-currants.html |title=New York Times |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2003-10-16 |access-date=2009-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{PLANTS |symbol=RINI |taxon=Ribes nigrum |access-date=2009-12-06}}</ref> However, several statewide [[Ribes#United States of America|bans]] still exist {{as of|2021|08|lc=on}}. Since the American federal ban curtailed currant production nationally for nearly a century, the fruit remains largely unknown in the United States and has yet to regain its previous popularity to levels enjoyed in Europe or New Zealand. Owing to its unique flavour and richness in polyphenols, [[dietary fiber|dietary fibre]] and [[essential nutrient]]s, awareness and popularity of blackcurrant is once again growing, with a number of consumer products entering the U.S. market.<ref>{{cite news |title=Blackcurrants nutrients hailed as opportunity |author=Addy, Rod |url=http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Suppliers2/Blackcurrant-nutrients-hailed-as-US-opportunity |newspaper=Nutra |date=2009-09-09 |access-date=2013-06-04}}</ref>

===Culinary===
{{Cookbook}}
The fruit of blackcurrants when eaten raw has a strong, tart flavour. It can be made into [[jam]]s and jellies which set readily because of the fruit's high content of [[pectin]] and [[Fruit acidity|acid]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables |author=Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food |year=1968 |publisher=HMSO |pages=16–23 }}</ref> For culinary use, the fruit is usually cooked with sugar to produce a purée, which can then be passed through [[muslin]] to separate the juice. The purée can be used to make blackcurrant preserves and be included in [[cheesecake]]s, [[yogurt]], [[ice cream]], [[dessert]]s, [[sorbet]]s, and many other sweet dishes. The exceptionally strong flavour can be moderated by combining it with other fruits, such as raspberries and strawberries in [[summer pudding]], or apples in crumbles and pies.<ref>{{cite book|last=Slater|first=Nigel|title=Tender, vol.2: a cook's guide to the fruit garden|year=2010|publisher=Fourth Estate|location=UK|isbn=978-0007325214|pages=592}}</ref> The juice can be used in syrups and cordials. Blackcurrants are a common ingredient of ''[[rødgrød]]'', a popular [[kissel]]-like dessert in North [[German cuisine|German]] and [[Danish cuisine]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.denmark-getaway.com/danish-food.html |title=Danish food |publisher=Denmark-getaway.com |access-date=2013-06-06}}</ref>

Blackcurrants are also used in savoury cooking. Their astringency creates added flavour in sauces, meats and other dishes. Blackcurrants are included in some unusual combinations of foods. They can be added to tomato and mint to make a salad. Blackcurrants may accompany roast beef, grilled lamb, duck,  seafood and shellfish. [[Canvasback]] duck with  blackcurrants was a delicacy in nineteenth century [[New York City|New York]]. They can provide a dipping sauce at [[barbecue]]s. They can be blended with [[mayonnaise]], and used to invigorate bananas and other tropical fruits. Blackcurrants can be combined with dark [[chocolate]] or added to [[mincemeat]] in traditional [[mince pie]]s at Christmas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nzblackcurrants.com/basics-of-cooking/ |title=Blackcurrants: Basics of cooking |publisher=New Zealand Blackcurrant Co-Operative |access-date=2013-06-04 |archive-date=2013-06-05  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605005916/http://www.nzblackcurrants.com/basics-of-cooking/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Japan imports US$3.6&nbsp;million of New Zealand blackcurrants for uses as [[dietary supplement]]s, snacks, [[functional food]] products and as quick-frozen (IQF) [[produce]] for culinary production as jams, [[Jelly (fruit preserves)|jellies]] or [[Fruit preserves|preserves]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackcurrant.co.nz/Downloads/BLACKCURRANT%20NNB1.pdf |title=New Nutrition Business, Japan makes a superfruit out of the humble blackcurrant, 2006 |access-date=2009-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514002415/http://blackcurrant.co.nz/Downloads/BLACKCURRANT%20NNB1.pdf |archive-date=2010-05-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{gallery|mode=packed
|WC Heda-Tourte au cassis-Musée des Bx-Arts Strasbourg.jpg|[[Willem Claesz. Heda]],<br/>''[[The Blackcurrant Pie]]'' (1641)
|Juoduju serbentu pyragas.JPG|''Juodųjų serbentų pyragas'' (blackcurrant pie), a popular dessert in Lithuanian cuisine
}}

===Beverages===
[[File:Ribena blackcurrant juice drink.jpg|thumb|Ribena blackcurrant juice drink]]
The juice forms the basis for various [[Squash (drink)|squashes]], juice drinks, and smoothies. In Britain, 95% of the blackcurrants grown are used to manufacture [[Ribena]] (a brand of fruit juice whose name is derived from ''Ribes nigrum'') and similar fruit syrups and juices.<ref>{{cite book |title=Garden plants for Scotland |last1=Cox |first1=Kenneth |last2=Curtis-Machin |first2=Raoul |year=2008 |publisher=Frances Lincoln |isbn=978-0711226753 |page=[https://archive.org/details/gardenplantsfors0000coxk/page/146 146] |url=https://archive.org/details/gardenplantsfors0000coxk |url-access=registration |quote=Scottish Crop Research Institute Ben blackcurrant. }}</ref> [[Maceration (food)|Macerated]] blackcurrants are also the primary ingredient in the [[apéritif]], ''[[crème de cassis]]'',<ref>{{cite news |title=Andy Hamilton's delicious homemade creme de cassis |last=Hamilton |first=Andy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/allotment/2012/jul/11/allotments-gardens |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2012-07-11 |access-date=2013-06-01}}</ref> which in turn is added to white wine to produce a [[kir (cocktail)|Kir]] or to [[Champagne (wine)|champagne]] to make a [[Kir Royal]].

In the UK, a blackcurrant [[Squash (drink)|squash]] may be mixed with beer or alcoholic cider to make drinks including "cider and black",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cocktailmaking.co.uk/displaycocktail.php/1716-Cider-%26amp%3B-Black |title=Cider & Black Cocktail Recipe |author=Schultz, Alex |work=Alex's cocktail recipes |access-date=2013-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509082745/http://www.cocktailmaking.co.uk/displaycocktail.php/1716-Cider-%26amp%3B-Black |archive-date=2013-05-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref> "lager and black", or "[[Snakebite (drink)|snakebite]] and black".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cocktailmaking.co.uk/displaycocktail.php/1419-Snakebite |title=Snakebite Cocktail Recipe |last=Schultz |first=Alex |work=Alex's cocktail recipes |access-date=2013-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131044903/http://www.cocktailmaking.co.uk/displaycocktail.php/1419-Snakebite |archive-date=2013-01-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In Russia, blackcurrant leaves may be used for flavoring tea or [[fruit preserve|preserves]], such as salted cucumbers, and berries for home winemaking. Sweetened [[vodka]] may also be infused with blackcurrant leaves making a deep greenish-yellow beverage with a tart flavor and [[astringent]] taste. The berries may be infused in a similar manner.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edible.co.nz/fruits.php?fruitid=22 |title=Currant, black |year=2007 |author=Boylan, Andrew |publisher=Incredible Edibles |access-date=2013-06-04}}</ref> 

In the Netherlands, blackcurrants are used in a carbonated soft drink named "cassis", not to be confused with the alcoholic [[crème de cassis]] liqueur. The variety by [[Hero Group|Hero]] has been made since 1938<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hero.nl/fruit/cassis|title=Hero Cassis is Originally Brewed since 1938|date=15 October 2020|website=Hero.nl|access-date=2024-03-28}}</ref> with blackcurrant juice concentrate as well as a small quantity of fermented blackcurrant juice.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hero.nl/fruit/hero-cassis-original-125-l|title=Hero 'THE ORIGINAL' Cassis 1,25 L|website=Hero.nl|access-date=2024-03-28}}</ref>

Blackcurrant seed oil is an ingredient in [[cosmetics]] preparations, often in combination with [[vitamin E]]. The leaves can be extracted to yield a yellow [[dye]], and the fruit is a source for a blue or violet dye resulting from its rich content of [[anthocyanin]]s.<ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-9400740532|title=Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 4, Fruits, Edible Medicinal and Non-medicinal Plants|last=Lim|first=T. K.|page=39|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c4KuB3iGmbwC&pg=PA39 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Jostaberry]]
* [[White currant]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ribes nigrum|Ribes nigrum—Blackcurrant}}
{{Wiktionary}}
*[http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ribes+nigrum PFAF Plant Database — ''Ribes nigrum'' Blackcurrant] — ''characteristics, cultivation, uses.''
*[http://www.berrycrops.net/files/RIBES%20GROWERS.pdf Berry Crops Grower's Guide]
*[http://www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk/ The Blackcurrant Foundation]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q146604}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Berries]]
[[Category:Flora of temperate Asia|Ribes nigrum]]
[[Category:Flora of Europe|Ribes nigrum]]
[[Category:Fruits originating in Asia]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Ribes|B01]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]