All About Currants

Many times when you have a recipe, you may see the ingredient currants. A currant is a fruit. There are two different kinds of currants. There are fresh currants which are a part of the gooseberry family, and the second is called a dry currant. Dry currants is nothing more than a dried grape. Fresh currants were around since the fifteenth century. It's name is borrowed from the dry currant, that was cultivated centuries before.

Fresh Currants

Fresh currants are really small, tart berries. You can only find them in the coldest areas of America and Europe. Fresh currants come in a variety of colors, which are red, white and black. Red currants are the ones that are used the most. They are very popular in northern Europe and went as far as the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1627. The colonists grew currants before other berries such as strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.

Cultivating currants is done more seriously today. There are things which you have to look out for, such as a fungus on the bushes that can kill the white currants which are highly valuable, or the fine needle pine. You can eat red currants fresh or use them in jams or jellies. White currants are used in mixed fruit dishes and salads. Black currants are used in drinks, jams and jellies.

Best Time To Buy

Currants are in season from June through August each year. When purchasing, look for the clean, bright and fat currants with wonderful color. If they are under ripe, use them in jelly.

Storage

Cover currants and refrigerate. Eat them within one to two days. You prepare them by just washing and stemming them.

Dry Currants

Dry currants are small seedless grapes. They are used mostly in cookies, cakes with raisins, or other fruit. Dry currants are more tart and contain more flavor than raisins. The name currant comes from the Greek City Corinth where they originated. They are also known as Zante currants, one of the Greek islands that grew them. These currants come boxed and there are only two kinds, black and white. If you open the box, refrigerate in a tight container. It can last six months on a kitchen shelf, and also last six months in the refrigerator.

The next time a recipe that you choose calls for currants, you will be better informed on which kind to use, how to prepare them, and how to store them.