blackcurrants 'Wellington' at the end of June 2006

• 1 Jun, 2010
• 2 likes

When we've got too many blackcurrants we freeze them (simply wash them and let them dry a bit). In winter time we use it in a 'fresh' fruit salade, I mix them with the rest of the fresh fruits about half an hour before serving it, and it tastes just like fresh! The same applies for red currants!

The fruit has an extraordinarily high vitamin C content (302% of the Daily Value per 100 g), good levels of potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B5, and a broad range of other essential nutrients.
Other phytochemicals in the fruit (polyphenols/anthocyanins) have been demonstrated in laboratory experiments with potential to inhibit inflammation mechanisms suspected to be at the origin of heart disease, cancer, microbial infections or neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Major anthocyanins in blackcurrant pomace are delphinidin-3-O-glucoside, delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside which are retained in the juice concentrate among other yet unidentified polyphenols.T
Blackcurrant seed oil is also rich in many nutrients, especially vitamin E and several unsaturated fatty acids including alpha-linolenic acid and gamma-linolenic acid.

UNITED KINGDOM
During World War II, most fruits rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, became almost impossible to obtain in the United Kingdom. Since blackcurrant berries are a rich source of vitamin C and blackcurrant plants are suitable for growing in the UK climate, blackcurrant cultivation was encouraged by the British government. Soon, the yield of the nation's crop increased significantly. From 1942 on, almost the entire British blackcurrant crop was made into blackcurrant syrup (or cordial) and distributed to the nation's children free, giving rise to the lasting popularity of blackcurrant flavourings in Britain.