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The Blackcurrant
Ribes nigrum - Blackcurrant
Other Names
Ribes pauciflorum, Schwarze Johannisbeerblaetter, Gichtbeerblaetter, Cassis, Cassistee, Feuilles de Cassis, French cassis, quinsy berries
Blackcurrant Cultivars
New varieties of blackcurrant are being developed all the time to improve frost tolerance, disease resistance, machine harvesting, fruit quality, nutritional content and fruit flavour.
- 'Amos Black'
- 'Ben Alder'
- Ben Avon
- ïBen ConnanÍ - Large berries with good flavour. Resistant to mildew, frost, and gall midge.
- 'Ben Dorain'
- ïBen GairnÍ - Large, juicy fruit. Early crop
- ïBen HopeÍ - High yields of medium-sized, fruit. Resistant to mildew, leaf spot, and gall midge.
- ïBen LomondÍ - High yields of large berries, harvest late summer.
- 'Ben Loyal'
- 'Ben More'
- ïBen SarekÍ - Large berries. High-yields.
- 'Ben Tirran'
- 'Big Ben'
- 'Boskoop Giant'
- 'Cotswold Cross'
- 'Jostaberry' - A blackcurrant x gooseberry hybrid. Typical hybrid vigour, thornless, and has good resistance pests and diseases. Large gooseberry-sized fruits with a blackcurrant taste.
- 'Wellington XXX'
Edibility of Blackcurrant
Edible Parts: Fruit and Leaves.
Fruit - raw or cooked. A distinctive aromatic flavour enjoyed by most. Fruit is acceptable raw (depending on cultivar and ripeness), but is more usually cooked and used to make pies, jams, syrups, and also good dried (dried blackcurrant is a main ingredient of pemmican.) Very rich in vitamin C.
Leaves - I have heard that the leaves have been used in soups although I've never found any recipes. The leaves, fresh or dried, are used in herbal teas.
Hazards - Ribes nigrum (Blackcurrant)
The Blackcurrant plant has no known hazards.
Blackcurrants Nutrient and Phytochemical Content Includes
Blackcurrant fruit has an extraordinarily high vitamin C content, (302% of the Daily Recommended Intake per 100g - USDA). Fruit also contains good levels of potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B5, and a broad range of other essential nutrients;
According to USDA
- Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.05 mg 4%
- Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.05 mg 3%
- Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.3 mg 2%
- Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.398 mg 8%
- Vitamin B6 0.066 mg 5%
- Vitamin C 181 mg 302%
- Calcium 55 mg 6%
- Iron 1.5 mg 12%
- Magnesium 24 mg 6%
- Phosphorus 59 mg 8%
- Potassium 322 mg 7%
- Zinc 0.27 mg 3%
Phytochemicals in Blackcurrant Fruit
Phytochemicals in blackcurrant fruit have been shown in studies to have the potential to inhibit inflammation mechanisms suspected to be at the origin of heart disease, cancer, microbial infections or neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease.
Anthocyanins
- delphinidin-3-O-glucoside
- delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside
- cyanidin-3-O-glucoside
- cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside
Polyphenols - Unidentified as yet.
Blackcurrant seed contains an oil which has many nutrients including an essential fatty acid named gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
Blackcurrant Supplements
Blackcurrant seed oil.
Medicinal Properties and Health Benefits
Always seek advice from a qualified professional before using a plant medicinally
The leaves are harvested during the growing season and can be used fresh or dried. It is believed that an infusion of the leaves increases the secretion of cortisol by the adrenal glands, and thus stimulates the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This action may prove useful in the treatment of stress-related conditions
The seed is a source of gamma-linolenic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid which assists the production of hormone-like substances
References
- The Blackcurrant Foundation
- fruit breeding
- Ribes Nigrum - Plants for a future Database
- Royal Horticultural Society - recommended Blackcurrant cultivars
- US Agricultural Research Service Note
- New York Times
- USDA Plant profile for Ribes nigrum L., European black currant
- NH RSA 227-K, White Pine Blister Rust Control Areas
- Heinonen M. Antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect of berry phenolics--a Finnish perspective. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Jun;51(6):684-91.
- Seeram NP. Berry fruits: compositional elements, biochemical activities, and the impact of their intake on human health, performance, and disease. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Feb 13;56(3):627-9.
- Kapasakalidis PG, Rastall RA, Gordon MH. Extraction of polyphenols from processed black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) residues. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 May 31;54(11):4016-21.
- McDougall GJ, Gordon S, Brennan R, Stewart D. Anthocyanin-flavanol condensation products from black currant (Ribes nigrum L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Oct 5;53(20):7878-85.
- Nielsen IL, Haren GR, Magnussen EL, Dragsted LO, Rasmussen SE. Quantification of anthocyanins in commercial black currant juices by simple high-performance liquid chromatography. Investigation of their pH stability and antioxidative potency. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Sep 24;51(20):5861-6.
- Traitler H, Winter H, Richli U, Ingenbleek Y. Characterization of gamma-linolenic acid in Ribes seed. Lipids. 1984 Dec;19(12):923-8.
- New Nutrition Business, Japan makes a superfruit out of the humble blackcurrant, 2005
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