Ribes vulgare
Lam.
Currant
Wikimedia Commons - Ivar Leidus
Wikimedia Commons - Darkone
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves
With maturity, the tart flavour of redcurrant fruit is slightly greater than its blackcurrant relative, but with the same approximate sweetness. The white-fruited 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 often served with lamb, game meat including venison, turkey and goose in a festive or Sunday roast. It is essentially a jam and is made in the same way, by adding the redcurrants to sugar, boiling, and straining. 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 redcurrants. The pips are taken off by hand, originally by monks, with a goose feather, before cooking. In Scandinavia and Schleswig-Holstein, it is often used in fruit soups and summer puddings (rødgrød, rote Grütze or rode grütt). In Germany it is also used in combination with custard or meringue as a filling for tarts. In German-speaking areas, syrup or nectar derived from the redcurrant is added to soda water and enjoyed as a refreshing drink named Johannisbeerschorle. It is so named because the redcurrants (Johannisbeeren, "John's berry" in German) are said to ripen first on St. John's Day, also known as Midsummer Day, June 24. 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 Russia, redcurrants are ubiquitous and used in jams, preserves, compotes and desserts. It is also used to make kissel, a sweet dessert made from fresh berries or fruits (such as redcurrants, cherries, cranberries). The leaves have many uses in traditional medicine, such as making an infusion with black tea.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant.
Asia, Caucasus, Central Asia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, North America, USA,
How to Identify
A shrub. It grows 1-1.5 m high. The leaves have 3-5 lobes. The flowers are in groups 8 cm long. The fruit are red berries.
Notes
There are about 150 Ribes species.
References (5)
- Bussman, R. W., et al, 2016, A comparative ethnobotany of Khevsureti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:4
- Dzhangaliev, A. D., et al, 2003, The Wild Fruit and Nut Plants of Kazakhstan, Horticultural Reviews, Vol. 29. pp 305-371
- J. B. A. P. M. de Lamarck & L. A. J. Desrousseaux, Encycl. 3:47. 1789 - an illegitimate, superfluous name (ICBN Art. 52)?
- Medsger, O. P., 1939, Edible Wild Plants. Macmillan Company. p 14
- Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 94
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