Excellent for baking into pies! 450g blackcurrants. “Blackcurrants have the best antioxidant polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins, which, in research, have been shown to help in maintaining cardiovascular health, ageing and brain health, urinary tract health and healthy vision.”, Healthy or otherwise, Hilditch loves Ribena and wouldn’t be without a bottle. Make this easy blackberry jam with your glut of summer fruit – perfect with fresh white bread. Harvest time varies up and down the country, according to the weather. “I want to remind people, and bring them back into people’s kitchens, whether through juices, in yoghurts, from frozen, just anyhow!”. Water blackcurrants during dry periods in the growing season. retail customers: 01584 812800 treeshop@fpmatthews.co.uk. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. According to The Blackcurrant Foundation, early-season cold allowed for a good level of bud break and strong crop ripening, the winter rains ensured water-store in the ground, enabling the swelling that results in larger berries, and recent warmer, sunnier periods have improved brix levels to averages of at least 16%, meaning there will be a sweeter-tasting crop of British blackcurrants for 2014. WR15 8TH. Plant 1.2-1.5m (4-5ft) apart. This makes these dark purple fruit, with their fresh, sweet and tart flavour, even more appealing. Due to the climate and soil conditions in Herefordshire blackcurrants thrive. Mid season. We have several rates that apply to UK mainland addresses. Pour 120ml just-boiled water into a large heatproof jug or bowl. The lower postal rates range from £2.80 - £5.70, will be applied to smaller orders of the lighter plants like currants, raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries, asparagus and strawberries although larger orders will go into the £10.00 rate. I am on my 3rd summer season with my allotment and for the first year my blackcurrant bush has produced enough fruit to make jam. 4.12 from 17 votes. Sunshine contributes to a high-quality fruit. It lost most of its health credentials as a result. Amazon.co.uk: blackcurrant Select Your Cookie Preferences We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. Berrington Court. Blackcurrant. Strong and early blackcurrant season on course in UK Weather conditions have been generous to Britain's blackcurrant growers, with Ribena in line to get a sweet, bumper crop . Welcome to the wonderful and magical world of the great British blackcurrant. She describes is as a “British take on the French staple, but infinitely more delicious, less sweet and syrupy and really fruity.” It works as a base for recipes as well as cocktails. Mid season. September – mid-season apples, blackberries, elderberries, plums, raspberries, strawberries October – mid-season apples, elderberries, pears, plums, raspberries, strawberries November – late-season apples These ripening dates are subject to weather. Tenbury Wells. So why have blackcurrants been neglected, while blueberries and gojis get all the glory? Even simpler is a blackcurrant vinaigrette from David Morris, fruit buyer at Booths, made from blackcurrants squashed with red wine vinegar and hazelnut oil, which is also good on game such as wild duck. If supermarket sales are a trustworthy barometer of the eating habits of the nation, it’s no wonder that blackcurrants are known as the “forgotten fruit”, as Whittern Farms grower Jo Hilditch, chair of the British Blackcurrant Foundation, describes them. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Enter dessert option number two: lemon and blackcurrant cheesecake, as made by Rachel Cotterill. “I have a dessert that includes a blackcurrant gel and ice cream to complement rich chocolate truffle and chocolate shortbread,” he says. Bred by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Big Ben is an outstanding early season variety with many excellent qualities. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Shops will stock up on punnets of the berries during the season too, making them readily available for all sorts of delightful cooking. Weather challenges were thought to have damaged crops but a harvest of more than 10,000 tonnes is still anticipated in the coming weeks. Blackcurrant. Blackcurrant bushes are offered as CAC Stock Two Year Bushes are supplied with 3 plus strong shoots NB: Orders of 10 bushes or less are subject to our ‘Small Quantities’ price list which is available on request. Pour into small glasses or bowls. Hand weed and mulch around the plant in late winter using well-rotted manure to suppress weeds. Exports of blackcurrant from Spain to the EU27 in 2018, by country ; Further Content: You might find this interesting as well Statistics. Wait for a minute or two to let the mixture settle, then dab away any froth with kitchen paper. retail customers: 01584 812800 treeshop@fpmatthews.co.uk. Hilditch assures me the recent heatwave hasn’t damaged her crop too severely, so there will be no shortage of Ribena, for this year, at least. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Plant-derived Foods for the Attenuation of Allergic Airway Inflammation. “So growers stopped growing the sweeter varieties.”, “However, we think it’s time now to bring back the blackcurrant – it’s a classic British summer fruit. Trees for Life ® frank p matthews. If it doesn’t all dissolve, put in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir until it does. Hilditch likes the Ben Starav, the plumpest and the sweetest, best. He now produces 400 bottles of blackcurrant vodka each year, which he recommends in champagne cocktails. They can add a hit to a rice pudding or clafoutis, she suggests, and matches them with elderflower jelly, a lemon pudding, and saffron meringues. Appearing as they do for only a few weeks in British summertime, blackcurrants are often considered to have a short season. Apple and blackcurrant crumble is a knockout dessert. It’s an easy to make and utterly irresistible pudding that can be enjoyed all year round. Blackberry jam. Serve for breakfast with granola and yoghurt, swirl into vanilla ice cream to make a blackcurrant ripple, or serve with meringue and cream. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 20. RIBES nigrum BLACKCURRANT Big Ben. WR15 8TH. Hilditch makes a fancy British Cassis, but the majority of the 350 or so tonnes picked each year goes – you guessed it – into bottles of Ribena, the end of the road for 95 per cent of the UK blackcurrant crop. Blackcurrant Spiced Chutney With Cheese & Watercress Puff Tarts Garlic & Rosemary Focaccia with Blackcurrant Balsamic Glaze Cinnamon Rolls with Blackcurrant Glaze Apple & Blackcurrant Crumble With Hazelnut Topping Blackcurrant Pancakes Summer Berry & Blackcurrant Pavlova « Older Entries . They are individually quick frozen, strigged (to remove the stalks), hand selected and packed. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Great for culinary purposes. Blackcurrant compote and buttery brioche crumbs give this British classic a vibrant twist, with the sharp berries complementing the sweet meringue topping 50 mins . When he was looking for a way to use the excess berries, his thoughts turned to vodka. 450ml Luscombe elderflower bubbly, or another elderflower pressé, 1x 12g sachet gelatine powder (or a 6.5g pack of vegetarian gel), 3 finely chopped mint leaves (optional), plus a few small mint sprigs to serve. High yields of medium-size berries. In Somerset, Richard Hollingbery began planting blackcurrants in his hedgerows as treats for his dairy herd at Godminster Farm, whose milk is used for vintage cheddar and brie. This cake is super simple to make, and would work well as one big dessert or lots of individual mini ones. Our blackcurrants are also hand-picked, which means we know they’re perfect quality.”. Its standout feature however is that it produces enormous blackcurrants – two or three times the size of other varieties. Her neighbours at Pixley Court make pressed juices and cordials, sold as Pixley Berries, from berries, sugar and water, and recommend mixing them with dry or sparkling white wine, or gin and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Too ripe, she says, and you lose that unique flavour that makes blackcurrants so special. We are pleased to supply large and small growers in the UK, Europe and further afield. 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. 0.0%. Due to the climate and soil conditions in Herefordshire blackcurrants thrive. It is an easy jam to make as all your need are blackcurrants water and sugar. Makes enough for about 4 x 450g(1lb) jars. Worcs. 'Tis the season for desserts and more desserts, and we've got the pe... rfect pudding to get those tastebuds tingling! Prune blackcurrants when dormant – from late autumn to late winter. “They have four times more vitamin C in them than oranges, weight for weight,” she points out. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. As growers we are bonkers about our berries and we want to make blackcurrants current; sharing with you just how good they are, all thanks to the way that we grow them! Avoid hoeing near the base of the bush because the hoe might cut through new shoots developing at the base of the plant. Ever wondered? Shares in this product's production. Blackcurrant compôte can be used for all sorts of things. Blackcurrants are available for a limited season only. Showing some mildew resistance. Elspeth Biltoft, who makes home-made Rosebud Preserves in Masham, North Yorkshire, says that blackcurrants are a gift to jam-makers because of their sharp-sweet flavour. The fruit itself, however, has held on tightly to all of its nutrients, packing them densely within its glossy deep purple skin. Full Details> Home About Varieties Stockists Tree Shop Tree Map Contact Trade Login Policies £-£££ Contact Details. Find all about blackcurrants in UK here! Blackcurrants have been hailed as a homegrown superfood, with no air miles or expensive extraction to worry about. Delicious in summer puddings or try our easy blackcurrant jam recipe. Which varieties are grown, how much and where? Trees for Life ® frank p matthews. If you’re lucky enough to get hold of any, but are wondering what to do with them, these blackcurrant recipes are here to help you out. Production. Jostaberry (gooseberry and blackcurrant hybrid) Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. 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