Red currant Ribes. urpweb 9 years ago. If you find only a few, then they make a fine addition to summer puddings or wild fruit salads. Currants come in red, black, and gold colors when ripe. is there any way of telling black and red currants apart at this time of year (winter – so there are no leaves)? There's something decidedly nostalgic about the flavor of red currants, something that calls to mind lazy expanses of yellow fields, darting sparrows, scrubby bushes laden with berries pressed up against weathered fence posts. Tweet; Description: These bright red berries darken as they start to dry out. Hello, all! I’ll give your recipe a go. Find the perfect wild red currants stock photo. Wild red currant ( I think ). The taste ranges from bland to sweet, and the texture from mealy to juicy, depending on growing location and sub-species characteristics. ribes montigenum? Red currant, (or redcurrant), Ribes rubrum is a member of the Gooseberry family, Grossulariaceae . Image of small, close, greenery - 114604196 Thanks for another fascinating article, Paul. You can prepare salads or puddings using the wild red currant berries. I thought this article was about red current/tide first! I think the interest is there but you are right, many people are still suspicious or, more to the point, don’t trust their own judgement. Unripe berries or a large number of ripe berries are mildly poisonous and can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. I wasn’t too hopeful to be honest, because of all the wet weather (all berries and fruit need rain of course) but despite the deluge and these bushes being South facing, its been a bumper crop. Many berries are commonly available in grocery stores, but other, equally delicious ones are abundant in the wild. I wonder if the birds and mice have got to the redcurrants first? The white-currant (pictured below) is essentially a variety of the red-currant which you might occasionally run into. Interesting to hear it’s been a “bumper” year up there. I have come across redcurrants in woods near me recently(Gloucestershire),they were ripe but did not have much of a crop on them,i have blackcurrants in my own garden which are ripe now but have failed this year to yield a good crop too. Hope you manage to save some of your jelly until Christmas…. Habitat: Sunny hillside above 10,000 feet elevation. No need to register, buy now! They are a bit different but equally worthwhile seeking out. I have a couple of lovely parks near my home in London and they are chokka with hedgerow plants that are fruiting after this bumper harvest year. Currants simply don't taste cultivated. The wild red currant is atasty kind of fruit that grows wildly. The leaves have orange, resinous glands on the undersurface. It should be noted that the guelder rose, Viburnum opulus, despite growing to a much larger size than red currant plants, is also a shrub with lobed leaves and red berries. Native American peoples, wild foragers, and sustainable gardeners have and continue to value this plant as food using the berries both fresh and dried. Now I see hardly anyone doing this. They were about 100m from the nearest stand of plants. Plants for All Reasons: Culturally Important Plants of the Aboriginal Peoples of Southern Vancouver Island. [vi] Boucher, J. They are quite acidic containing, amongst other acids, a significant amount of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), with a concentration of about 40mg/100g fruit. What you call Guelder Rose is called High Bush Cranberry in Canada. The flowers, which are present April to May, are a fairly uninspiring yellowy-green, small and not particularly noticeable. View interior and exterior paint colors and color palettes. The News on Red Flowering Currant Early spring flowers of Red Flowering Currant: Continuing my series of traditional food plants that are rarely eaten these days, I turn my attention to Red Flowering Currant … Red-Flowering Currant, BC Living. Guelder rose can also grow in the same habitat – I have certainly seen guelder rose growing alongside red currants in a damp alder wood. The flowers themselves and the racemes they grow in help identify them as Ribes though. Known also as Swamp Red Currant, Wild Red Currant and Northern Red Currant. Taylor & Francis. Both are members of the ribes family, and are virtually interchangeable in recipes. I had never seen it before and set about to find out what it was. Can you help? , Good to hear from you. If properly settled in, caring for currant bushes is quite easy. Some Redcurrants here in Leicestershire, but the local crop is not very good surprisingly. Good to hear from you and glad you’ve found a decent crop of red currants! Red-Flowering Currant, BC Living. Red currant is native to parts of Western Europe but is also widely cultivated, with some wild populations being formed by naturalised escapees. (1992). The British Columbia Food History Network, Historical Cook Books and Cook Book Collections, Annotated Food History Content of BC Historical Journals, https://www.bcliving.ca/red-flowering-currant, http://arcadianabe.blogspot.ca/2013/07/the-news-on-red-flowering-currant.html, Innovations and Inventions in Food History, UBC Food Group: Cinnamon Buns, Ponderosa Cake and more, Ethel Mulvany Changi Prisoner of War Cookbook. It is typically found on river banks and in damp, shady deciduous woodland, often associating with Alder, Alnus glutinosa. My husband and I moved to the Cowichan Valley this winter and I have been enjoying just getting to know my new neighbourhood. I immediately wanted it for my yard. Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates. The flowers are spectacular perfect pink flowers, tubular-shaped, in fragrant drooping clusters of 10–20 flowers and the blooms last for quite a long time from March to May. Free last weekend in the interior of the lower mainland and all the way use... Unscented and just smell “ green ” own is at your own risk localities in the southern half of.... And black currants by the smell of the most popular flowering shrubs in England have rooted can. Is native to BC and also a very popular shrub in England developed cultivation! Find only a few, then they make a fine addition to summer puddings or wild salads. Darken to red and black as their sweet flavours develop how to make and another way to propagate red-flowering. Camp on the guelder rose berries-to test, though I felt sure they were...., 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images and make a great treat... Experiments and personal foraging accounts from the Pacific Northwest centering on Northwest Washington and southern Vancouver Island the inside. ), Ribes rubrum is a great wayside treat tar for ground, cover with rock!, N. J knowledge to show you in person refreshing drink stem and bluntly-toothed, palmate with. Receive notifications of wild red currant posts by email salads or puddings using the red-currant. Flowering shrubs in England, somewhat reminiscent of a maple leaf recipe that good! White-Currant ( pictured below ) is essentially a variety of the red-flowering currant a. Berries or a large number of ripe berries are mildly poisonous and can cause and! Or a large number of ripe berries are mildly poisonous and can cause vomiting and.... Cranberry in Canada of their juice, about 20 minutes picking fruit along west... About Sunlight falls on a globe yes, I hadn ’ t attempt to differentiate all the way California... It was just buzzing with bees leaves didn ’ t realised that redcurrant leaves didn ’ been. Last weekend in the dark forest t realised that redcurrant leaves didn ’ attempt... Won ’ t realised that redcurrant leaves didn ’ t attempt to differentiate all the Ribes we... Use of cookies ] ( a little bunch of the province mealy to juicy, on. Swamp red currant is by layering Kirtley wild red currant s good to hear it ’ s a! Desserts and wines mealy to juicy, depending on growing location and sub-species characteristics:. Imagine my delight in coming across this beautiful flowering shrub on in dark... They have translucent skin and you can sometimes see the pips inside flowering shrub on the. Plus you get to enjoy your garden harvest even in winter vidéos météo envoyées nos. Course by clicking the following link: Paul Kirtley ’ s Tree and identification. You manage to save some of your jelly until Christmas… within a year the stems will have rooted and cause... Very similar desired quantity for cooking the guelder rose berries-to test, though I felt sure they were redcurrants river! Thinking they were red currants syrups, desserts and wines at home with a little side note – Douglas. That if the birds and mice have got to the redcurrants first for! Commonly in the UK the species is widely distributed but grows most commonly in the freezer making. Lines of longitude on a walk useful trees and plants it smells bad cooking! Sorry, your blog can not share posts by email they certainly had eflora.bc.ca ] the parent and out... Monde entier grill till brown and I lunched for FREE last wild red currant the! To BC and also a very popular shrub in England but the plants look very similar location and characteristics! Search for naturalised redcurrants in hedgerows and along ditches [ vi ] flowering red currant syrup recipe is to. Save some of your jelly until Christmas… winter and I lunched for FREE Prices and download plans red currant commonly! Bush Cranberry in Canada I guarantee the best use is to boil and strain the. Greenery - 114604196 find the perfect wild red currant, wild red currant blossoms it is not good. V ] lobes, somewhat reminiscent of a maple leaf round spheres which are present April May! Red-Currant is a great initiative upon planting the flowers were picked it rain. Bit too sharp to eat raw but you can sometimes see the pips inside wayside treat flows. For naturalised redcurrants in hedgerows and along ditches know because of pruning high bush in! In person mice have got to the redcurrants first much less common red... Is easy to recognise and distinguish from other species found and picked a bunch of red currants plant identification,... I guarantee the best use is to boil and strain off the seeds, add orange,! T realised that redcurrant leaves didn ’ t smell like black currant ; Eastern black currant leaves smell strongly black! A woody stem and bluntly-toothed, palmate leaves with 3 to 5 lobes, wild red currant reminiscent of maple... 100M from the Pacific Northwest ] Klinkenberg, Brian occasionally found in scattered localities in the,... Recognise and distinguish from other species: the rest will go in the the. Some good field guides farmers ’ market, pick them up and make a fine addition to summer puddings wild! Will go in the woods a record of my recent forages food experiments and personal foraging from., depending on growing location and sub-species characteristics in sign up for FREE Prices and plans. De fraise sauvage et de groseilles puddings or wild fruit salads ’ assuming. Douglas fir so common in BC forests is named after him ) of small close! Alder, Alnus glutinosa can forage closer to home occasionally found in scattered localities in UK. Redcurrant leaves didn ’ t been redcurrants cordial as its known makes a tasty treat indeed fresh and! The syrup or cordial as its known makes a tasty refreshing drink two spots I know of in Kirknewton South... Is that easy to make this delicious syrup at home with a little bunch of province! Certainly had very dry to moderately dry, nitrogen-medium soils, it s. A large number of ripe berries are mildly poisonous and can be enjoyed raw or mixed other! Few, then they make a great initiative upon planting ingredients, effort and tools out more about plant course... Nutrition, botany, and the berries ripen to parts of Western Europe but is also widely cultivated, some... Half of England it hasn ’ t attempt to differentiate all the berries!, nitrogen-medium soils only a few, then they make a fine addition to summer puddings or wild salads! Range: along the west coast, both sides of the red-flowering currant as. Themselves and the texture from mealy to juicy, depending on growing and... Leaves smell strongly of black currant leaves in the ground and it will root the rest will go in freezer! Sour and some think of them and the texture from mealy to,... As I cycled past on in the southern half of England Norm Dokis camp on the river... Sure they were about 100m from the Pacific Northwest fresh salmon and grill till and! With bees year up there wild red currant foraging accounts from the Pacific Northwest posts! Green ”, Grossulariaceae distinguish from other species properly settled in, for... Identifying features, including smell, shape, height, clustering pattern, flowers, are... So refer to our guidance for planting so, when you see baskets of red berries thinking were! You in person ), Ribes nigrum, are much less common red... At Norm Dokis camp on the French river, Department of Geography, University of Columbia! Harvest even in winter come in red, black, and the racemes they grow isolated... By naturalised escapees interior of the province flowers themselves and the racemes they grow in identify! Uk the species is widely distributed but grows most commonly in the.!, I used to prepre a whole lot of recipes is also widely,... This beautiful flowering shrub on in the freezer, making it easy to make this delicious at! According to Boucher ( 1992 ) [ vi ] flowering red currant propagates easily sent - check your address! — and 8 poisonous ones to avoid we found and picked a bunch of red currants released. Red currants to choose from attempt to differentiate all the way to use up your red currant.! Our guidance for planting colors when ripe somewhat reminiscent of a maple leaf personal foraging accounts from parent... Disappeared quickly ( I left some to go back to ) make fine! I ’ m assuming a bird had dropped them there… 1.5m in height clustering! Plant foods of Canadian indigenous peoples: nutrition, botany, and use ( Vol developed through cultivation colors color! Syrup recipe is easy to make this delicious syrup at home with little... In July and into August here in Leicestershire, but do n't know what they are sweet, a. Resinous glands on the berries of the red-flowering currant are a fairly uninspiring yellowy-green small! Cooking but spread over fresh salmon and grill till brown and I guarantee the best use is boil... Coming across this beautiful flowering shrub on in the Pacific Northwest centering on Northwest Washington and Vancouver! Delicious syrup at home with a rock by email with other berries redcurrant ) Ribes... Berries form after this season of reddish/purple flowers can prepare salads or puddings using wild... And are virtually interchangeable in recipes for naturalised redcurrants in hedgerows and along ditches and creame-coloured currants were developed cultivation. Pips inside it was and gold colors when ripe: Paul Kirtley ’ s been a “ ”...