**Botanical Description and Cultivation**:
– Ribes nigrum is a medium-sized shrub with aromatic parts.
– Leaves are alternate, simple, with five palmate lobes.
– Flowers are produced in racemes with hairy calyx and five stamens.
– Berries ripen in midsummer, dark purple to black with glossy skins.
– An established bush can yield about 4.5 kilograms of fruit yearly.
– Blackcurrant is native to northern Europe and Asia.
– Cultivation began in Europe around the late 17th century.
– Blackcurrants prefer damp, fertile ground and are intolerant of drought.
– Soil pH of about 6 is ideal for blackcurrants.
– Planting is usually done in autumn or winter for establishment before spring growth.
– Mulching, manuring, and fertilizing are essential for growth.
**Phytochemicals and Nutritional Value**:
– Blackcurrant contains polyphenol phytochemicals in fruit, seeds, and leaves.
– Major anthocyanins in blackcurrant pomace include delphinidin-3-glucoside.
– Raw blackcurrants are 82% water, 15% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and 0.4% fat.
– Rich in vitamin C, providing 218% of the Daily Value per 100g serving.
– Blackcurrant seed oil contains vitamin E, alpha-linolenic acid, and gamma-linolenic acid.
– Moderate levels of iron and manganese are present in blackcurrants.
– Other nutrients are present in small amounts in blackcurrants.
**Diseases, Pests, and Cultivars**:
– Diseases like reversion disease, white pine blister rust, and mildews affect blackcurrants.
– Insect pests like blackcurrant sawfly, currant borer, scale insects, aphids, and earwigs can damage bushes.
– Many blackcurrant cultivars exist, with newer ones being more productive and disease-resistant.
– Hybridization efforts focus on disease resistance, frost tolerance, and increased yields.
– Cultivars like Ben Lomond, Ben Hope, and Ben Sarek were developed for specific traits.
**Culinary and Beverage Uses**:
– Blackcurrants are rich in pectin and acid, suitable for jams and jellies.
– Used in sweet and savory dishes, salads, meats, and desserts.
– Blackcurrants are used to make juices, squashes, and smoothies.
– Key ingredient in drinks like Ribena and crème de cassis.
– Used in various culinary applications like ice cream, sorbets, and cheesecakes.
**Historical Significance and Commercial Production**:
– Blackcurrants have a long history of cultivation and medicinal use.
– Ban on blackcurrants in the United States impacted cultivation and consumption.
– Efforts to improve fruit characteristics have been made in various countries.
– Large-scale cultivation mainly done in eastern Europe for the juice market.
– Blackcurrants are used in dietary supplements, snacks, and functional food products.
The blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum), also known as black currant or cassis, is a deciduous shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its edible berries. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia, where it prefers damp fertile soils. It is widely cultivated both commercially and domestically.
| Blackcurrant | |
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| Berries | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Grossulariaceae |
| Genus: | Ribes |
| Species: | R. nigrum
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| Binomial name | |
| Ribes nigrum | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
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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 polyphenols. Blackcurrants can be eaten raw but are usually cooked in sweet or savoury dishes. They are used to make jams, preserves, and syrups and are grown commercially for the juice market. The fruit is also used to make alcoholic beverages and dyes.