Blackcurrents were banned by the US Department of Agriculture because they carried the white pine blister rust disease. This fungus threatened to wipe out the pines in the US, so all Ribes were banned to protect the logging industry at the time. The national ban has been lifted however each state now regulates this on their own.
Exactly! Some plants, just because they are beneficial to us, doesn't mean they aren't harmful to the environment. Plants can harbor and spread pests and diseases, or are highly invasive, and so they have to be handled appropriately to protect the ecosystem.
The logging industry meanwhile has done far more damage to the environment than the humble blackcurrant ever could. No plant is harmful to the environment, plants ARE the environment.
As a person growing up in the UK, blackcurrant was one of the most common flavours for drinks, jams, candy and medicines. When I moved to the USA, I found it impossible to find except in the occasional supermarket that stocked Ribena. Ribena unfortunately now contains artificial sweeteners which make it taste horrible. Recently, I have discovered a source of blackcurrant products. A local international supermarket stocks products from Poland, Slovenia and Croatia. I have been able to find jams, fruit compote and syrups with real blackcurrant and no artificial sweeteners. The best blackcurrant syrups are Vavel (from Poland) and Adriatic Sun (from Slovenia). Nothing tastes quite like blackcurrant.
Thanks for chiming in! For people, who don't know, in the UK, black currents are so popular, that they find purple candies in black current flavour instead grape flavour.
@@eugenetswong I am from the UK and black currents are amazing. Nearly every adult in the UK when drinking a black current flavored cordial (like Ribena/Robinson's apple and black current) is magically transported back to their childhood and remembers parties with a bouncy castle and jugs full of black currant flavored drinks. We also have black currant flavored 'bon bons' which are lovely chewy sweets (candy).
I will vouch for the health benefits! Currants are very common in Poland and for generations my family has been consuming them fresh from their gardens. Zero kidney/UT issues, zero dementia, all lived to 80+. Sizes: Currant berries are about the size of peas. Gooseberries are about grape size
@@golden.lights.twinkle2329 the point is not that you have to eat currants to live past 80, the point is that consuming healthy things like currants and other foods reduce or eliminate the chances of certain diseases. If you reduce the odds of sickness, you increase your odds of longevity.
Redcurrants and blackcurrants are very traditional foods in Norway. The blackcurrant is very popular for boiling down with sugar, to make what we call "saft", which can be mixed 1 to 4 with water and drunken as a soft drink. All grocery stores in Norway has this, look for "solbærsaft". It also makes a great jam. The redcurrant is perhaps a bit less utilized in our time, but many people still eat them for dessert, raw with vanilla sauce and sugar. You can also make good saft from it.
They are very hardy and can grow in cold climate even north of the polar circle. So it's an popular bush where you barely can grow anything else that is edible.
I had no idea. We've recently moved into a house that has just one blackcurrant bush. It's amazing how much fruit I harvested from this bush. My intention was to make it into fruit pies, so the first thing I did was boil the fruit with some sugar. Idea being to prevent it spoiling. I then took some of my "pie filling" and added it to water as a drink. It was great. I never got around to making those pies. Instead this was how we used it.
The first things planted in the garden of my first house were Redcurrant, Blackcurrant, Rasperry and Gooseberry bushes. Mainly because they were absolutely delicious and required little maintaineance apart from pruning now and then. Of course this is in the UK where there is no real problems with white pine blight.
We can buy currant bushes, etcetera, but I am pretty sure the nurseries have to provide stock that is free of the rust. I will say, though, that currants can’t be shipped to some states. Different flowers or fruit plants can’t be shipped to certain states, it’s always at the bottom of the paragraph. Fortunately I was able to ship them to Indiana. Currants are such a beautiful treat and look like red jewels on the bush. Very pretty and tasty!
Guarantee there was no white pine blight, William Randolph Hurst Sr and dupont got weed banned at same time, some elite that bought out government officials gor currant band, both happened around same time, Hurst owned many pine farms across world for his newspapers, seems related
I'll be damned. I've been suggesting keeping peanuts around to snack on to people trying to quit smoking cigarettes, because it helped me when I quit smoking. I always thought it had more to do with the salt and just being another way to get out that oral fixation, but to hear peanuts possess a chemical that helps break addictions, is pretty awesome.
Please don't talk like this! Damned is the worst possible thing that could ever happen to you, or anyone else. You should say God-Blessed and mean it; with all your hearts.
Even before you identified it, I knew you were talking about black currant. One of my favorites. My grandmother used to grow it. Not a lot of pine trees where she lived so the authorities ignored it. She used to make jam and syrup from them. I still make them when I can because it reminds me of my time at my grandparents farm. Good memories.
This is one of my favorite UA-cam channels. God and Homesteading, what a wonderful combination for a fulfilling and simple life. Keep up the good work brother.
I grew up in England during the 1940s and we had blackcurrant, redcurrant and gooseberry bushes growing amongst the cabbages, carrots. tomatoes, kale and raspberries etc. They are very polific producers and were a valuable addition to our very rationed wartime diet. I now live in subtropical Australia and they just won't grow here, neither will raspberries or blackberries. I can grow strawberries in winter and I can grow mulberries and probably blueberries. Fascinating information. thanks for sharing.
All those berries will and do grow very well in Australia, it just depends on where you're living. I used to live in the Blue Mountains of NSW and my parents in law still do. We both had a number of different berries growing very well in our vege gardens
I remember as a child we lived in town but we had a big barn in our backyard next to the alleyway and there was a current bush that grew behind the barn. And I would watch it until the berries became ripe and I would sit there between the barn and that brush and eat those berries until I was almost sick. They were so good. And even though I was so full I couldn’t stop eating them. In all my life that is the only current bush I’ve ever Seen.
I started growing both blackcurrant and gooseberries because you just can't buy either fruit in the shops and I figured if I'm going to put time and effort into growing food, might as well choose something that isn't readily available. Turns out they're great plants to have in your garden - they're shade tolerant, grow to zone 3 or 4ish, very unfussy, and gooseberry especially is vigorous and easy to grow from cuttings, literally just stick them in the ground! I bought one plant in 2018 and already have about 20 in various stages of growth, and that's with me giving some away and keeping just a handful of cuttings each year. No birds or mice eat the berries either, not had any diseases, the only pest that attacked the gooseberry so far has been the sawfly larvae, tiny green caterpillars on the leaves. No pests have touched the blackcurrants. Gooseberries when ripe are really sweet and mild tasting, no pips, you can just snack on them. Blackcurrants have an intense "berry" flavour and are amazing cooked with apples in either jam or crumble/pie.
Gooseberry wine...we use it for herbal extraction. Gooseberry is called the King of berries for wine. Our blackcurrants and gooseberries are so prolific! I'm dehydrating as many blackberries as I can as we don't have enough space to freeze them. I will then make jam and cordial from the blackberries....when I have time after the harvest of the other fruits and veg 👍
My grandmother and father used to grow black currants in our yard in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, so it must not be restricted here. My mother used to make black currant jelly. Another favorite tea of mine is black tea flavoured with black currant.
just steap the leafs from black currant bushes think i nead to take a look if the leafs are still pickable havent had it in years (atlest 25 years since my last sip of it) if i can find a black currant bush i know wher the red currant bush is guess i nead to go in to the jungel known as rasberrys and look in sweden so thay have never been restricted here :D
@@jonaskarlsson5453 That was what we always did here in 🇳🇴 too, just made tea on the blackcurrant leaves, no actual tea leaves needed. The blackcurrant tea has a lovely blackcurrant flavor. At the end of the summer, it would be a great idea to pick all the leaves if you have bushes and dehydrate or freeze dry them (or even thread the leaves on a thread and hang them up to dry… There’s really no need to buy blackcurrant tea if you have a bush or two! Did you ever try making tea from redcurrant leaves? I never did… 🤗
@@FriarPop if you read my comment, you would realize that I said Canada did NOT ban currants. I grew up having homemade blackcurrant jelly all the time, and picking them off bushes in our yard and Grandma's yard. A blackcurrant juice concentrate called 'Ribena' has always been available in grocery stores too. I even remember buying fresh blackcurrants and red currants at the grocery store, although they were seldom available that way. I just don't think many fruit growers grow them for the fresh market.
these bushes are a very common sight here in Sweden. they are hard to kill. if you walk into the forest and end up finding these, there is a high possibility to find remains of a homestead that might have been burnt down or demolished close to a hundred years ago.
When a society outlaws an organic plant that is so unbelievably beneficial to your health because of some tree fungus, &/or forces you to "get a permit to grow it," you know your society needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.... Great video!
I agree with the general premise, but ignoring it’s relation to other plants as an intermediary for disease, especially in something as important as timber… also seems kinda naive & selfish. If your neighbor 50 years ago said they came across a pretty little beetle that they brought home from overseas, would you think “damn big Gov” when Japanese beetles or emerald Ash etc bore starting decimating plants/trees around you?
@@boxcutter0 If eating those Beatles could cure cancer, & a myriad of other human maladies, then yeas, it would be a good idea to acquire as many as possible, figure out how to make them procreate, & utilize them as a human benefit. Then, immediately research the copious scientific ways we could mitigate any/all counterproductive effects said beatle would have on the surrounding environment. It would be a win...WIN for all!
In my childhood garden, we had three kinds of currants - red, white, black. They are super delicious and nutritious. Ribena, a children's vitamin drink made in the UK, is the processed juice from black currants. We also had an entire row of gooseberries, which I loved. Gooseberry jam was very popular.
I grow blackcurrants here in Ontario Canada, they make the worlds best tasting jam! I love the way blackcurrant jam sets because of the natural pectin in the fruit! I have grown gooseberries and red currants in the past too. Klaus
This video was great. I have started a few years ago getting into wild edibles and their benefits. Like slicing garlic letting it sit on the counter for it's antibiotic properties. All I can say the more I get into this the less I go to the doctor's office. To at this point I hardly get sick. Videos like this are very beneficial
As an RN, you are absolutely correct. The research on Psilocybin is very promising for treatment of Anxiety, stress, depression. The micro dosing beats any Pharmaceutical made today and has no dysconesia associated with its use, unlike antidepressant use. The effect of medical marijuana has on Parkinson’s is amazing as well. However, they are both federally illegal and are not allowed in Any Geriatric centers nationwide because of Medicare and Medicaid funding being federal monies. The profit motive of Big Pharma is a 1000 pound gorilla in the room no one dare touch.
Thank you for the info. I am putting both currents into my and my mother's garden plan in the spring. Hafta check the law in both states. But willing to go the extra mile. I'm excited. A few years back I was introduced to currents by a sorta public garden, one I guerilla plant in. They were red and incredible. The amount of fruit the lil' guy barred and the versatile flavor. 👌🏼👍🏻🌱
There are also white currents. White currents look exactly like the black and red currents yet a sort of translucent yellowy white colour. My fathers yard in BC Canada has all three varieties. My mother would make current jams, jellies and wine. White currents are NOT gooseberries, they grow those too. Gooseberries are much larger and tend to be lightly striped.
I am able to grow currants here in WA. I have red, black and white. They are abundant producers. So much so I can't even harvest it all! Last week I found a banana bread recipe I used to make 30-40 years ago when my kids were small and it calls for currants! Whipped up a batch and it's out of this world delicious. Currants are yummy in everything!
@@leannefredbuchanan6491 Hi Leanne. They can get huge when grown in the ground. U can keep them manageable with pruning. They are a common hedge row shrub as well. I do have one in a tub-18 gallons or more-i stuck it in there temporarily, and now it's been 2 years. It has flourished. It fruited this year for the first time-they firstfruit on 2 year old wood. If u prune them severly- cutting alot of the 2+ year old branches, u might not get fruit the next year-happened to me. I haven't taken any cuttings because the dropped berries easily grow. Good Luck♥️ And sorry, I meant Fred!
@@lulabelle4760 Lula, thank you so much for your early reply. I will try and source a red and black one for big pots. will try to form a shrub/tree via pruning. thinking i might need to be nearer to the southwest for it to be successful, time will tell. once again Thank you. Cheers, Fred and Leanne.
@@leannefredbuchanan6491 if it's hot just water and mulch alot. I have 6 in the full sun. And we have had 2 blistering summers in a row. The 5 in ground are in a raised bed-12 inches+/- cause we get tons of rain and the backyard where they are floods. I think they are very hardy and can tolerate alot-even me!!!
@@leannefredbuchanan6491 don't mean to bother u Fred. All my raised beds and containers I do a modified hugalkulture. I dont use logs 1 because I can't lift them and 2 I dont dig the beds out. I build the bed walls, put down 2-3 layers of cardboard, wet it, then pile in wood of all sizes, newspaper, toilet paper rolls anything carbon, some grass, then compost, then steer manure and 4-5inches dirt and as soon as it's filled I plant. Haven't had a problem. Same system for containers but pieces of cardboard. Lastly mulch. All winter I throw the chicken poop and straw on top and in spring steer manure and mulch. Very productive. Best of luck♥️
Black currant preserves is my favorite hands-down, especially on pancakes. Occasionally get quality preserves from an overstock store (US) that carries "Danish Choice" from Poland. Look for natural sweeteners, artificial sweeteners tend to leave a slightly off taste.
When people use what mother nature provides as is, rather than taking out something, they'll have all of what mother nature intended you get from her complete package, now matter what it is. Berries, fruits, greens, roots, etc.
WPBR. The whole problem was created by the timber industry anyway but somehow all the responsibility got placed upon the individual and now even a native plant is illegal. Unexcusable to make the individual responsible for government and corporate mistakes.
This year I bought and planted one black and I also had three black currant seeds germinate . I am really looking forward to making jam in two or so years.
We never stopped eating black currents in the UK. People made pies from them, made syrups and long drinks from them, you can make wine also, mainly used through the winter. Yummy, yummy pies, jams. One of my favourites. We also ate gooseberries, mainly desserts, you could make jam also. Very good to keep healthy through the winter months. The other thing was elder tree flowers we made a syrup, from which we would have long hot drinks... Very good for the lungs when one had flu or colds absolutely delicious. With all these things sugar or honey needs to be added for preserving or cooking because they are so tart. 😁
Y'all don't have vulnerable species of pine. It is a North American problem, because ours have no immunity to an Eurasian disease. New Zealand would have the same problem, except that they don't have any native white pines so the problem is moot.
Yes, my grandmother was big on making wine and red/black current was a favourite. It's a shame about their effect on American white pine as I'm under the impression they pretty much look after themselves if grown in a garden. They can be found growing like weeds in the UK so you don't always need to even have them in your garden.
If no one else has said this, they are so easy to propagate. When I prune them I just stick a cutting in the ground and they grow. I have about 7 blackcurrant bushes in my garden. I have it heated up to cook, let it cool then eat with plain yogurt.
I don’t think red currants were ever illegal to grow in the US, at least in Oregon. My mom has been growing them in our yard since the 80s. We always had loads of red currant jelly in our cupboard growing up. Red currants are pretty much too tart for anything without adding sugar. She just 3 (? maybe) years ago got a black currant bush and this is the first year it’s been producing prolifically. I’m not sure when they lifted the ban in Oregon, but I’m sure glad they did. Black currants are okay to eat plain, in my opinion. A bit seedy, but not sour like red currants.
He is a click bait person that knows very little. Current is a native species in the northwest. I live in Montana. There is at least one on every block because bird poop is where the seeds come from. I might be wrong but I think birds are the only way for the seed to germinate. A bush in every poop. I am a master gardener. He lack of knowledge within a couple minutes shows its strong stench. Everyone wants to be a youtuber. Even ones that have very little to offer when there are many out there that talk about genus and family names and can identify plants all over the globe.
You may have updated info that I have not seen. But as of 2020, “bans remain in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia and West Virginia - it is also banned in parts of Michigan.” I have read that there is a ban in N Carolina. I don’t know if these are the only states. but once again you may be privy to info I have not seen. All the best. dmcoffee.blog/why-is-black-currant-illegal-in-the-united-states/
@@ruffonstuff3489 There are wild varieties of currant in the US. All you have to do is look up the history of the 1911 ban on certain varieties of currants. That ban was overturned but still multiple states have had full or partial bans. Here is some history. www.currantc.com/pages/about If you have historical sources that contradict this I would love to see them. All the best.
Google is a simple way to find out if what I said about the 1911 ban is true. As stated in the video the federal ban was overturned and now each state chooses. Some still have full and others partial bans. All the best. www.currantc.com/pages/about
My family lived in the NWT in Canada in the 1970's. We used to pick black currents every summer near the rivers not far from Yellowknife. Just like wild cranberries, they are there for a reason in northern areas that have 4 seasons and cold winters.
First time viewer; I like what I've seen. I live in the Pacific NW and grow/make my own herbal medicines and teas. Big Government needs to get its big nose out of our medicine cabinets, and stop banning things humans have survived on for millennia~
This sounds quite strange to me as where I am from, black currant, red currant an gooseberries are very common in gardens (I have some in my garden) an there are even black currant plantations.
Growing up, we used to have a few currant bushes. I remember going out and harvesting them in thunderstorms because they would be extremely plump then. In the last year that I lived at that house, I discovered a white currant bush. When I left to live on my own, my dad let me take the white currant bush with me. Once I get a house, I'll plant it, along with some more white bushes and some red and black bushes. Definitely my favorite berry to eat when it's picking time
These currants and gooseberries were everywhere in Wisconsin...I ate them every year. This is the 1st time I've heard that the currants were banned...?
An older sister lost several white pines on her property to blister rust. It didn't stop her from raising currents and gooseberries. Most of the pines, about 20, are fine.
I've grown a red current in a (large, 2'x2') pot for ~7 years now. It's gotten moved 4 times (ah the renter life) and it still produces. So if it is legal where you are and you don't have a garden space, it is an option and works surprisingly well (in a peat-perlite-shredded bark mix). Doesn't produce enough at once in the pot to spend time making anything special with it - but enough where I'd get a good handful every other day just grabbing off the bush on the way to the car. You can also find currant products at probably any Polish Market - I have black current jelly cookies on my table right now. Enjoy!
Here in New Zealand, as a kid, I remember almost every house had gooseberry and black currant bushes as fences. My Nana used to make the best black currant jam.
American born, but raised with an English Gran. She grew currants, & we couldn't wait for her black currant jam, when it was jam making time. So, yummy 🤤 Now that she's gone, my sister has taken up her jam recipes, but she didn't do black currant last year as she said the prices were ridiculously high 😕 The government doesn't want you to be able to heal/help yourself naturally, because they & Big Pharma would lose too much money 😡👎🤡
Can you believe that at one time pharma wanted vitamins to be prescription , but for once the government was on the side of the people and told pharma that they couldn’t patent something that produces naturally
What if they're really scared we all realise it's all growing out there & we don't need money? Like the Clampets before they struck oil. Do you really need it?
I was thinking you were going to say, "cause it got you high"? But, it couldn't be that, cause you could ferment the berries and make a delicious wine that as we know, "would give you a nice taste and a nice buzz as well"!!
Very informative, THANK YOU so much for sharing!! I live in Texas & I'm 99% sure it's too hot here to grow them. Most berries don't grow very well here.
In Europe, and the UK we make red- and blackcurrant jelly. It's delicious. We grow the bushes in our gardens. Great with anything, incl. venison, chicken and turkey. Gooseberries are great too. Makes incredible icecream. Jostaberries are a mix of gooseberries and blackcurrants. So good.
Blackcurrants are so delicious! I have just (still am, actually) been enjoying homemade blackcurrant sorbet and sauce (for on yoghurt and icecream). Redcurrants we more than anything make jelly from. It is super yummy, including in gravy e.g. for a Christmas turkey or a Tofurkey! It just makes the gravey extra good, it’s the little oomph it needs! It’s also very good with cheese on crackers/biscuits! Blackcurrant leaves are also great to make tea out of (fresh or dried leaves). I wouldn’t be surprised if the redcurrant leaves are good for this too, but I never tried. I’m in Norway.
Grandma made wine with red currants in the 60s. My dad found some someone wanted rid of, so we dug them out and planted them at home. Currant jelly!!!! The best.
I'm glad to learn about these berries. I've had dried currants before, but have absolutely no idea of what kind of flavor to expect from fresh ones, or gooseberries. I am looking to expand our garden next year and want to look into this more. Ohio bans black currants (except hybrids that are resistant to the disease), but allows red, white, and gooseberries. Thanks for the good info!
Here in Europe where black currants are hugely popular, nest to no-one eats them fresh. You can, of course, but they are so much better as jams, or jellys, or juice. If you get some try making spiceing the unsweetend juice as you would a spiced wine. That makes a very nice alcohol free alternative to spiced wine.
I’m an Ohioan since birth. I’ll grow whatever I damn well please in my own yard. Sick of “them” controlling/micromanaging every move you make, every breath you take! Meanwhile they do whatever they want.
This is a very interesting video. I would love to taste some of these. Unfortunately I live in a state where these are probably illegal to grow since we have a verity of trees, including the white pine. I used to eat goose berries growning up in MO, and boy did I love them. I miss those little tart treats.
I just bought black current mixed juice today. So.... Yeah it's sold at most store's. So glad it's legal now. I never knew it was outlawed. At least where I am at it's legal. Some other plants are still banned
I grew up with grandparents that had like 20 red current plants. Grandma would make great pies out of them. I love eating them straight off the plant. They have a tartness that is a family favorite. I have been wanting to get some to plant in my yard.
Used to love blackcurrants and redcurrants and gooseberries. Not as easy to get them now, in some areas in the UK. Something to be said for the pre supermarket days
I've found these at farmers markets, they make a tasty treat. 😋 I knew of their health benefits, however I didn't know the history of its use in the lab or the white pine blister rust. 🤔🙂 Goodness bless you, thanks for sharing this. 😀
The ban was lifted in Oregon because there’s so many native species of Ribes all over the wilderness that it was impossible to enforce. People in my area forage like crazy. But what got the ban lifted was a farmer looking to raise black currants. Here’s a little clip from an article I read: “There are now black currant growers in other states that have lifted the ban-including New York, Oregon, Illinois and Minnesota-who commercially grow the once-forbidden berries. The ban still remains on the books in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia and West Virginia. In some places, like Michigan, a permit is required to plant black currants anywhere in the state.” 🙏💕🧿🤚🏽🌿💨🪶🪶
Cool. Knowing they used to be illegal for so long is what lead me to order them when I found out they were starting to sell them in my state. Now I have 1 blackcurrent and one red current growing in my mom's backyard.
Interesting, I have Glaucoma in one eye and it hasn't changed in about 15 years. I trusting the Lord to heal it and God willing one day he will, but I like currants so I could add more to my diet. 🤔🙂🙏 thanks for sharing.
Thank you sir, I will absolutely look into it for central Illinois. When I was a young man I recall my grandparents having a Gooseberry bush in the yard. The pies were wonderful, I really wanna try this plant!
I live in Canada, never knew they were illegal anywhere. I have black currants growing wild in my back yard, not a lot but any time I'm walking by I grab a handful to eat. Quite a pleasant flavor.
I grew up in Bavaria Germany and this was a fruit I am familiar with tart but loaded with flavor…the Deep South here in Georgia is not where I can find them far tooooo hot…thank you for sharing this …stay blessed
I live in the south USA and planted dozens of gooseberry and currants. They die when it gets hot and dry here. I have tried so many times. Rhubarb also dies here. Too HOT you are right!
You grew up in Bravaria.. My descendants were in that area. "Eisenhauer " and a village I think .."Eiterbach". Metal workers. Made swords for German imperial military. WWI. They came to America ca. 1743. They were involved in vineyards as well.
@@inharmonywithearth9982 my luck with rhubarb was a bust as well absolutely shocked that I’m growing raspberries here but thrilled to be able to harvest what I thought was never possible
@@HealthAndHomestead thank you many fond memories of picking berries and foraging as a child…we need to educate children about edibles to pass this along…
Thank you, my path in life crossed with a Man Charles Elmer Fox/ Reefer Charlie(Hobo name)/ Doc (locally known). He was born and raised in Indiana and fondest memory was spending summers with his grandparents which he swore were full blooded Delaware Indianas. He would spend most of his time foraging and currents were on the top of his list of favorites whether they straight off the bush, in Grandmas pie or on a piece of toast! He wrote a couple of books during his life ' Tales of American Hobo' and 'Weeds and other good things to eat'. He had a disagreement with the publisher and yanked it from press. An Artist/ Photograher was not!
I am doing fine and you? I also watched your video on honey and the only thing I will add after using honey decades for sore throats is that it does best locally sourced
My family had red currants for over a hundred years growing in upstate NY (Waterloo). And they made red current jelly and currant raspberry jellies. I guess no one told them?
My peeve regarding currants is that "currant" also refers to a small raisin and every time I think I've found a source of actual currants from the genus Ribes, it turns out to be the raisins instead. A dried currant (raisin) and a dried black currant (Ribes) look very similar so if the product is pictured on the packaging, it's hard to know which one you're looking at. Ingredient lists (in the U.S. at least) don't specify which currant it is, so I have to actually buy the product to find out and EVERY SINGLE TIME it turns out to be the raisin! EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!
I was raised near Düsseldorf and gooseberries (Stachelbeeren) were a gift from god to me. I have tried to grow gooseberries here in Colorado and can only get the red variety which to me doesn't taste very good. I wonder if the yellow/green, large variety is still not allowed to be sold here. Or do I just need to keep looking? My daughter keeps telling me that I'm on a wild goose chase. Again, near my home town we had another type of currant that was translucent, almost clear. It was sweeter and less tart than the red which are my favorite currant. I find the black to be a bit astringent. I grow red and black currants in our garden and the plants are prolific.
I take a supplement restorvol.... funny that I could probably get it for free if I took a walk in the woods. It can be grown where I live, in Wisconsin. Thank you for this. I just retired and am having fun walking around and looking at all the wonder in the woods and along roadsides!
I've been seeing plants that have leaves that look an awful lot like that coming up in my yard but I don't think currents grow in Texas so it must be something else.
Blackcurrents were banned by the US Department of Agriculture because they carried the white pine blister rust disease. This fungus threatened to wipe out the pines in the US, so all Ribes were banned to protect the logging industry at the time. The national ban has been lifted however each state now regulates this on their own.
Exactly! Some plants, just because they are beneficial to us, doesn't mean they aren't harmful to the environment.
Plants can harbor and spread pests and diseases, or are highly invasive, and so they have to be handled appropriately to protect the ecosystem.
You were good at book reports
oh it doesnt get you high? that sucks
The logging industry meanwhile has done far more damage to the environment than the humble blackcurrant ever could. No plant is harmful to the environment, plants ARE the environment.
As he mentioned in the video.
As a person growing up in the UK, blackcurrant was one of the most common flavours for drinks, jams, candy and medicines. When I moved to the USA, I found it impossible to find except in the occasional supermarket that stocked Ribena. Ribena unfortunately now contains artificial sweeteners which make it taste horrible. Recently, I have discovered a source of blackcurrant products. A local international supermarket stocks products from Poland, Slovenia and Croatia. I have been able to find jams, fruit compote and syrups with real blackcurrant and no artificial sweeteners. The best blackcurrant syrups are Vavel (from Poland) and Adriatic Sun (from Slovenia). Nothing tastes quite like blackcurrant.
Thanks for chiming in!
For people, who don't know, in the UK, black currents are so popular, that they find purple candies in black current flavour instead grape flavour.
@@eugenetswong I am from the UK and black currents are amazing. Nearly every adult in the UK when drinking a black current flavored cordial (like Ribena/Robinson's apple and black current) is magically transported back to their childhood and remembers parties with a bouncy castle and jugs full of black currant flavored drinks. We also have black currant flavored 'bon bons' which are lovely chewy sweets (candy).
Bidets and black currant. Name two things that Americans have never heard of.
Oh Ribena was a delicious treat.
@@mekkler what a strange thing to say. I have heard of both and used both, and I'm American! You've made me sound like an oddity.
I will vouch for the health benefits! Currants are very common in Poland and for generations my family has been consuming them fresh from their gardens. Zero kidney/UT issues, zero dementia, all lived to 80+.
Sizes:
Currant berries are about the size of peas.
Gooseberries are about grape size
Great to hear thanks for sharing.
Yeah I had this many times in Poland and the beetroot soup don’t forget is always good for everything
I know people who never consumed black-currant and lived to be over 80 so that proves nothing.
@@golden.lights.twinkle2329 the point is not that you have to eat currants to live past 80, the point is that consuming healthy things like currants and other foods reduce or eliminate the chances of certain diseases. If you reduce the odds of sickness, you increase your odds of longevity.
Got any scientific evidence? Personal opinion doesn’t cut it. Proof is all that matters.
Redcurrants and blackcurrants are very traditional foods in Norway. The blackcurrant is very popular for boiling down with sugar, to make what we call "saft", which can be mixed 1 to 4 with water and drunken as a soft drink. All grocery stores in Norway has this, look for "solbærsaft". It also makes a great jam. The redcurrant is perhaps a bit less utilized in our time, but many people still eat them for dessert, raw with vanilla sauce and sugar. You can also make good saft from it.
Norway!
@@MyStarPeopleExperiences Yep :)
They are very hardy and can grow in cold climate even north of the polar circle. So it's an popular bush where you barely can grow anything else that is edible.
We make a jelly from the berry juice in nothern Norway. It is very tasty on toast, waffles or oat biscuits, to name a few.
I had no idea. We've recently moved into a house that has just one blackcurrant bush. It's amazing how much fruit I harvested from this bush. My intention was to make it into fruit pies, so the first thing I did was boil the fruit with some sugar. Idea being to prevent it spoiling.
I then took some of my "pie filling" and added it to water as a drink. It was great. I never got around to making those pies. Instead this was how we used it.
The first things planted in the garden of my first house were Redcurrant, Blackcurrant, Rasperry and Gooseberry bushes. Mainly because they were absolutely delicious and required little maintaineance apart from pruning now and then. Of course this is in the UK where there is no real problems with white pine blight.
That’s the exact berry bushes most families used to have in their garden when I was a kid in the 60’s/70’s! Perfect combination!
We can buy currant bushes, etcetera, but I am pretty sure the nurseries have to provide stock that is free of the rust. I will say, though, that currants can’t be shipped to some states. Different flowers or fruit plants can’t be shipped to certain states, it’s always at the bottom of the paragraph.
Fortunately I was able to ship them to Indiana. Currants are such a beautiful treat and look like red jewels on the bush. Very pretty and tasty!
sour as f*ck though straight off the bush!
Guarantee there was no white pine blight, William Randolph Hurst Sr and dupont got weed banned at same time, some elite that bought out government officials gor currant band, both happened around same time, Hurst owned many pine farms across world for his newspapers, seems related
I'll be damned. I've been suggesting keeping peanuts around to snack on to people trying to quit smoking cigarettes, because it helped me when I quit smoking. I always thought it had more to do with the salt and just being another way to get out that oral fixation, but to hear peanuts possess a chemical that helps break addictions, is pretty awesome.
Peanuts also stabilize blood sugar
Please don't talk like this! Damned is the worst possible thing that could ever happen to you, or anyone else. You should say God-Blessed and mean it; with all your hearts.
@@glendavis3257 It’s an expression, chill.
@@glendavis3257get over yourself and your superstitions, we do many things that are forbidden in other cultures and NO ONE HAS SUFFERED YET.
It is an expression but it also has a meaning, an extremely unpleasant meaning. The other commentor was actually being kind to you.
Even before you identified it, I knew you were talking about black currant. One of my favorites. My grandmother used to grow it. Not a lot of pine trees where she lived so the authorities ignored it. She used to make jam and syrup from them. I still make them when I can because it reminds me of my time at my grandparents farm. Good memories.
I remember homemade black currant jelly for my toast and biscuits.
Same, because of lofty pursuits, lol. I get black currant candy from them whenever I can.
@@kennydoggins1712 Actually, it's due to the fact that it's high-altitude desert. Not enough water for pine trees.
This is one of my favorite UA-cam channels. God and Homesteading, what a wonderful combination for a fulfilling and simple life. Keep up the good work brother.
I grew up in England during the 1940s and we had blackcurrant, redcurrant and gooseberry bushes growing amongst the cabbages, carrots. tomatoes, kale and raspberries etc. They are very polific producers and were a valuable addition to our very rationed wartime diet. I now live in subtropical Australia and they just won't grow here, neither will raspberries or blackberries. I can grow strawberries in winter and I can grow mulberries and probably blueberries. Fascinating information. thanks for sharing.
Yes, me too, can’t remember seeing gooseberries for years and years...
I grow Atherton Raspberry that I bought from Daley's Fruit Tree Nursery online. They have a great range of subtropical fruits.
@@elizabethscott7660 Thanks Elizabeth, do you grow your Atherton Raspberry in a pot or in the ground?
@@jackiegrant410 I had gooseberries in Western Canada, but the fruit became infested with bugs so bad that I had to get rid of them. 😞
All those berries will and do grow very well in Australia, it just depends on where you're living. I used to live in the Blue Mountains of NSW and my parents in law still do. We both had a number of different berries growing very well in our vege gardens
I remember as a child we lived in town but we had a big barn in our backyard next to the alleyway and there was a current bush that grew behind the barn. And I would watch it until the berries became ripe and I would sit there between the barn and that brush and eat those berries until I was almost sick. They were so good. And even though I was so full I couldn’t stop eating them. In all my life that is the only current bush I’ve ever Seen.
*Currant bush* 🤗💚
What a delightful picture your words paint! Thank you for the vicarious enjoyment. Without the tummy ache!
I am saddened by the fact that your memories are of the past.
How delightful it would be, if they were ... Currant.
I started growing both blackcurrant and gooseberries because you just can't buy either fruit in the shops and I figured if I'm going to put time and effort into growing food, might as well choose something that isn't readily available. Turns out they're great plants to have in your garden - they're shade tolerant, grow to zone 3 or 4ish, very unfussy, and gooseberry especially is vigorous and easy to grow from cuttings, literally just stick them in the ground! I bought one plant in 2018 and already have about 20 in various stages of growth, and that's with me giving some away and keeping just a handful of cuttings each year. No birds or mice eat the berries either, not had any diseases, the only pest that attacked the gooseberry so far has been the sawfly larvae, tiny green caterpillars on the leaves. No pests have touched the blackcurrants. Gooseberries when ripe are really sweet and mild tasting, no pips, you can just snack on them. Blackcurrants have an intense "berry" flavour and are amazing cooked with apples in either jam or crumble/pie.
so many things fruit wise that can not grow here in the heat for Savannah Ga...but then there are others that are amazing choices...
Would love to get recipe for them
Gooseberry wine...we use it for herbal extraction. Gooseberry is called the King of berries for wine.
Our blackcurrants and gooseberries are so prolific! I'm dehydrating as many blackberries as I can as we don't have enough space to freeze them. I will then make jam and cordial from the blackberries....when I have time after the harvest of the other fruits and veg 👍
My grandmother and father used to grow black currants in our yard in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, so it must not be restricted here. My mother used to make black currant jelly. Another favorite tea of mine is black tea flavoured with black currant.
just steap the leafs from black currant bushes think i nead to take a look if the leafs are still pickable havent had it in years (atlest 25 years since my last sip of it)
if i can find a black currant bush i know wher the red currant bush is guess i nead to go in to the jungel known as rasberrys and look
in sweden so thay have never been restricted here :D
@@jonaskarlsson5453 That was what we always did here in 🇳🇴 too, just made tea on the blackcurrant leaves, no actual tea leaves needed. The blackcurrant tea has a lovely blackcurrant flavor. At the end of the summer, it would be a great idea to pick all the leaves if you have bushes and dehydrate or freeze dry them (or even thread the leaves on a thread and hang them up to dry… There’s really no need to buy blackcurrant tea if you have a bush or two! Did you ever try making tea from redcurrant leaves? I never did… 🤗
@@lottatroublemaker6130 havent tryed it from redcurrant maby i should give it a go worst case i got a cup of water to throw out :)
Canada bans everything, surprising.
@@FriarPop if you read my comment, you would realize that I said Canada did NOT ban currants. I grew up having homemade blackcurrant jelly all the time, and picking them off bushes in our yard and Grandma's yard. A blackcurrant juice concentrate called 'Ribena' has always been available in grocery stores too. I even remember buying fresh blackcurrants and red currants at the grocery store, although they were seldom available that way. I just don't think many fruit growers grow them for the fresh market.
these bushes are a very common sight here in Sweden. they are hard to kill. if you walk into the forest and end up finding these, there is a high possibility to find remains of a homestead that might have been burnt down or demolished close to a hundred years ago.
Can remember my mom making black and red current jam when really young. About 80 years ago.
Thank you for sharing.
God bless
When a society outlaws an organic plant that is so unbelievably beneficial to your health because of some tree fungus, &/or forces you to "get a permit to grow it," you know your society needs to be rebuilt from the ground up....
Great video!
Agree
I agree with the general premise, but ignoring it’s relation to other plants as an intermediary for disease, especially in something as important as timber… also seems kinda naive & selfish. If your neighbor 50 years ago said they came across a pretty little beetle that they brought home from overseas, would you think “damn big Gov” when Japanese beetles or emerald Ash etc bore starting decimating plants/trees around you?
@@boxcutter0 If eating those Beatles could cure cancer, & a myriad of other human maladies, then yeas, it would be a good idea to acquire as many as possible, figure out how to make them procreate, & utilize them as a human benefit.
Then, immediately research the copious scientific ways we could mitigate any/all counterproductive effects said beatle would have on the surrounding environment.
It would be a win...WIN for all!
In my childhood garden, we had three kinds of currants - red, white, black. They are super delicious and nutritious.
Ribena, a children's vitamin drink made in the UK, is the processed juice from black currants.
We also had an entire row of gooseberries, which I loved. Gooseberry jam was very popular.
I grow blackcurrants here in Ontario Canada, they make the worlds best tasting jam! I love the way blackcurrant jam sets because of the natural pectin in the fruit! I have grown gooseberries and red currants in the past too.
Klaus
This video was great. I have started a few years ago getting into wild edibles and their benefits. Like slicing garlic letting it sit on the counter for it's antibiotic properties. All I can say the more I get into this the less I go to the doctor's office. To at this point I hardly get sick. Videos like this are very beneficial
I just love the way the red berries look. Something about the vibrant translucent red color is very satisfying to look at.
I grew up on the farm in Alberta, we had both many red and black currants in a huge garden behind our house.
Between the info on the video and the feedback in comments, this has been a VERY informative post. Thanks a ton, Everyone!!
If the so-called authorities ban something that means it's of benefit to you. If they endorse something then avoid it.
Exactly! Don't believe the government. It's all and only lies
Wise words.
Absolutely
So governments are pushing EVs so don’t buy one!
As an RN, you are absolutely correct. The research on Psilocybin is very promising for treatment of Anxiety, stress, depression. The micro dosing beats any Pharmaceutical made today and has no dysconesia associated with its use, unlike antidepressant use.
The effect of medical marijuana has on Parkinson’s is amazing as well.
However, they are both federally illegal and are not allowed in Any Geriatric centers nationwide because of Medicare and Medicaid funding being federal monies. The profit motive of Big Pharma is a 1000 pound gorilla in the room no one dare touch.
Thank you for the info. I am putting both currents into my and my mother's garden plan in the spring. Hafta check the law in both states. But willing to go the extra mile. I'm excited. A few years back I was introduced to currents by a sorta public garden, one I guerilla plant in. They were red and incredible. The amount of fruit the lil' guy barred and the versatile flavor. 👌🏼👍🏻🌱
There are also white currents. White currents look exactly like the black and red currents yet a sort of translucent yellowy white colour. My fathers yard in BC Canada has all three varieties. My mother would make current jams, jellies and wine. White currents are NOT gooseberries, they grow those too. Gooseberries are much larger and tend to be lightly striped.
I am able to grow currants here in WA. I have red, black and white. They are abundant producers. So much so I can't even harvest it all! Last week I found a banana bread recipe I used to make 30-40 years ago when my kids were small and it calls for currants! Whipped up a batch and it's out of this world delicious. Currants are yummy in everything!
Hi Lula Im a West Aussie also living in Bassendean, do they require much room to grow, Iim gussing not able to grow in a pot. Cheers Fred
@@leannefredbuchanan6491 Hi Leanne. They can get huge when grown in the ground. U can keep them manageable with pruning. They are a common hedge row shrub as well. I do have one in a tub-18 gallons or more-i stuck it in there temporarily, and now it's been 2 years. It has flourished. It fruited this year for the first time-they firstfruit on 2 year old wood. If u prune them severly- cutting alot of the 2+ year old branches, u might not get fruit the next year-happened to me. I haven't taken any cuttings because the dropped berries easily grow. Good Luck♥️ And sorry, I meant Fred!
@@lulabelle4760 Lula, thank you so much for your early reply. I will try and source a red and black one for big pots. will try to form a shrub/tree via pruning. thinking i might need to be nearer to the southwest for it to be successful, time will tell. once again Thank you. Cheers, Fred and Leanne.
@@leannefredbuchanan6491 if it's hot just water and mulch alot. I have 6 in the full sun. And we have had 2 blistering summers in a row. The 5 in ground are in a raised bed-12 inches+/- cause we get tons of rain and the backyard where they are floods. I think they are very hardy and can tolerate alot-even me!!!
@@leannefredbuchanan6491 don't mean to bother u Fred. All my raised beds and containers I do a modified hugalkulture. I dont use logs 1 because I can't lift them and 2 I dont dig the beds out. I build the bed walls, put down 2-3 layers of cardboard, wet it, then pile in wood of all sizes, newspaper, toilet paper rolls anything carbon, some grass, then compost, then steer manure and 4-5inches dirt and as soon as it's filled I plant. Haven't had a problem. Same system for containers but pieces of cardboard. Lastly mulch. All winter I throw the chicken poop and straw on top and in spring steer manure and mulch. Very productive. Best of luck♥️
Black currant preserves is my favorite hands-down, especially on pancakes. Occasionally get quality preserves from an overstock store (US) that carries "Danish Choice" from Poland. Look for natural sweeteners, artificial sweeteners tend to leave a slightly off taste.
My grandmother made jams, juices, and syrups with black and red current. It was all very delicious! It grows wild all over my area in Utah.
would you send me some??
Wonderful breakdown of the health benefits of currants. Going to go out and forage some soon. Sending love and greetings from Missouri ♡
When people use what mother nature provides as is, rather than taking out something, they'll have all of what mother nature intended you get from her complete package, now matter what it is. Berries, fruits, greens, roots, etc.
When I had more time, I made sparkling wine from red currents, and it was the most beautiful shade of red.
WPBR. The whole problem was created by the timber industry anyway but somehow all the responsibility got placed upon the individual and now even a native plant is illegal. Unexcusable to make the individual responsible for government and corporate mistakes.
This year I bought and planted one black and I also had three black currant seeds germinate . I am really looking forward to making jam in two or so years.
We never stopped eating black currents in the UK. People made pies from them, made syrups and long drinks from them, you can make wine also, mainly used through the winter. Yummy, yummy pies, jams. One of my favourites. We also ate gooseberries, mainly desserts, you could make jam also. Very good to keep healthy through the winter months. The other thing was elder tree flowers we made a syrup, from which we would have long hot drinks... Very good for the lungs when one had flu or colds absolutely delicious. With all these things sugar or honey needs to be added for preserving or cooking because they are so tart. 😁
Blackcurrants 🤗
What is a " long drink "
@@bryanjones14 a cordial or concentrate of any fruit with water added
Y'all don't have vulnerable species of pine. It is a North American problem, because ours have no immunity to an Eurasian disease. New Zealand would have the same problem, except that they don't have any native white pines so the problem is moot.
Yes, my grandmother was big on making wine and red/black current was a favourite. It's a shame about their effect on American white pine as I'm under the impression they pretty much look after themselves if grown in a garden. They can be found growing like weeds in the UK so you don't always need to even have them in your garden.
If no one else has said this, they are so easy to propagate. When I prune them I just stick a cutting in the ground and they grow. I have about 7 blackcurrant bushes in my garden. I have it heated up to cook, let it cool then eat with plain yogurt.
I don’t think red currants were ever illegal to grow in the US, at least in Oregon. My mom has been growing them in our yard since the 80s. We always had loads of red currant jelly in our cupboard growing up. Red currants are pretty much too tart for anything without adding sugar. She just 3 (? maybe) years ago got a black currant bush and this is the first year it’s been producing prolifically. I’m not sure when they lifted the ban in Oregon, but I’m sure glad they did. Black currants are okay to eat plain, in my opinion. A bit seedy, but not sour like red currants.
there are no bans in any state. only 2 with restrictions
He is a click bait person that knows very little. Current is a native species in the northwest. I live in Montana. There is at least one on every block because bird poop is where the seeds come from. I might be wrong but I think birds are the only way for the seed to germinate. A bush in every poop. I am a master gardener. He lack of knowledge within a couple minutes shows its strong stench. Everyone wants to be a youtuber. Even ones that have very little to offer when there are many out there that talk about genus and family names and can identify plants all over the globe.
You may have updated info that I have not seen. But as of 2020, “bans remain in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia and West Virginia - it is also banned in parts of Michigan.” I have read that there is a ban in N Carolina. I don’t know if these are the only states. but once again you may be privy to info I have not seen. All the best. dmcoffee.blog/why-is-black-currant-illegal-in-the-united-states/
@@ruffonstuff3489 There are wild varieties of currant in the US. All you have to do is look up the history of the 1911 ban on certain varieties of currants. That ban was overturned but still multiple states have had full or partial bans. Here is some history. www.currantc.com/pages/about If you have historical sources that contradict this I would love to see them. All the best.
Google is a simple way to find out if what I said about the 1911 ban is true. As stated in the video the federal ban was overturned and now each state chooses. Some still have full and others partial bans. All the best. www.currantc.com/pages/about
My family lived in the NWT in Canada in the 1970's. We used to pick black currents every summer near the rivers not far from Yellowknife.
Just like wild cranberries, they are there for a reason in northern areas that have 4 seasons and cold winters.
First time viewer; I like what I've seen. I live in the Pacific NW and grow/make my own herbal medicines and teas. Big Government needs to get its big nose out of our medicine cabinets, and stop banning things humans have survived on for millennia~
Hey there! We grow black and red currants in PNW in case you need them 😊 yay for plant medicine!
This sounds quite strange to me as where I am from, black currant, red currant an gooseberries are very common in gardens (I have some in my garden) an there are even black currant plantations.
Thank you for the informative video. I like to stay on top of currant affairs.
Growing up, we used to have a few currant bushes. I remember going out and harvesting them in thunderstorms because they would be extremely plump then. In the last year that I lived at that house, I discovered a white currant bush. When I left to live on my own, my dad let me take the white currant bush with me. Once I get a house, I'll plant it, along with some more white bushes and some red and black bushes. Definitely my favorite berry to eat when it's picking time
These currants and gooseberries were everywhere in Wisconsin...I ate them every year.
This is the 1st time I've heard that the currants were banned...?
There are wild currants growing in many areas of North America. Some very tasty, some tart, some bland. All very edible.
An older sister lost several white pines on her property to blister rust. It didn't stop her from raising currents and gooseberries. Most of the pines, about 20, are fine.
I've grown a red current in a (large, 2'x2') pot for ~7 years now. It's gotten moved 4 times (ah the renter life) and it still produces. So if it is legal where you are and you don't have a garden space, it is an option and works surprisingly well (in a peat-perlite-shredded bark mix). Doesn't produce enough at once in the pot to spend time making anything special with it - but enough where I'd get a good handful every other day just grabbing off the bush on the way to the car. You can also find currant products at probably any Polish Market - I have black current jelly cookies on my table right now. Enjoy!
Where do you get a plant or a seed I live in co and want this in my house too lol
@@jondoc7525 got it as small plant.
My grands came from Italy and they grew Currants. One grandmother made jam and wine out of the berries. 1930 - 1970’s
Here in New Zealand, as a kid, I remember almost every house had gooseberry and black currant bushes as fences. My Nana used to make the best black currant jam.
My dad s friend grew red currants in his huge garden on a double lot in Illinois. Best jelly ever! Wonderful on buttered cornbread!
I have four red current bushes in my yard. I love them.
American born, but raised with an English Gran. She grew currants, & we couldn't wait for her black currant jam, when it was jam making time. So, yummy 🤤 Now that she's gone, my sister has taken up her jam recipes, but she didn't do black currant last year as she said the prices were ridiculously high 😕 The government doesn't want you to be able to heal/help yourself naturally, because they & Big Pharma would lose too much money 😡👎🤡
Can you believe that at one time pharma wanted vitamins to be prescription , but for once the government was on the side of the people and told pharma that they couldn’t patent something that produces naturally
Didn't watch the video, did you?
What if they're really scared we all realise it's all growing out there & we don't need money?
Like the Clampets before they struck oil.
Do you really need it?
@Nicholas Time
Minerals are the key
Ask a vet
They don't get paid if their patients die.
& Farm Animals don't have health insurance.
@@Serai3 you don’t pay attention to your government, or history or governments in history or the dynamics of power and control, do you.
I was thinking you were going to say, "cause it got you high"? But, it couldn't be that, cause you could ferment the berries and make a delicious wine that as we know, "would give you a nice taste and a nice buzz as well"!!
Very informative, THANK YOU so much for sharing!! I live in Texas & I'm 99% sure it's too hot here to grow them. Most berries don't grow very well here.
In Europe, and the UK we make red- and blackcurrant jelly. It's delicious. We grow the bushes in our gardens. Great with anything, incl. venison, chicken and turkey. Gooseberries are great too. Makes incredible icecream. Jostaberries are a mix of gooseberries and blackcurrants. So good.
I make current cookies around Christmas time and they are so good!! It’s something that has been a family tradition for generations.
I've had currents growing for around 40 years. If they were banned, nobody told my local nursery. Black and red.
I spent many of my childhood years under my Grans currant trees raiding the red and black currants.
Wow... I always wondered why there are no black or red currants in the U.S. I had no idea they were banned.
Now they are legal in most states. In some areas, like where I live you cannot grow them. Though in some areas of my state they are ok to grow.
Blackcurrants are so delicious! I have just (still am, actually) been enjoying homemade blackcurrant sorbet and sauce (for on yoghurt and icecream). Redcurrants we more than anything make jelly from. It is super yummy, including in gravy e.g. for a Christmas turkey or a Tofurkey! It just makes the gravey extra good, it’s the little oomph it needs! It’s also very good with cheese on crackers/biscuits! Blackcurrant leaves are also great to make tea out of (fresh or dried leaves). I wouldn’t be surprised if the redcurrant leaves are good for this too, but I never tried. I’m in Norway.
Grandma made wine with red currants in the 60s. My dad found some someone wanted rid of, so we dug them out and planted them at home. Currant jelly!!!! The best.
I'm glad to learn about these berries. I've had dried currants before, but have absolutely no idea of what kind of flavor to expect from fresh ones, or gooseberries. I am looking to expand our garden next year and want to look into this more. Ohio bans black currants (except hybrids that are resistant to the disease), but allows red, white, and gooseberries. Thanks for the good info!
Here in Europe where black currants are hugely popular, nest to no-one eats them fresh.
You can, of course, but they are so much better as jams, or jellys, or juice.
If you get some try making spiceing the unsweetend juice as you would a spiced wine.
That makes a very nice alcohol free alternative to spiced wine.
I’m an Ohioan since birth.
I’ll grow whatever I damn well please in my own yard. Sick of “them” controlling/micromanaging every move you make, every breath you take! Meanwhile they do whatever they want.
Fantastic information, have blackcurrants in my porridge along with raspberries. Love the tartness
This is a very interesting video. I would love to taste some of these. Unfortunately I live in a state where these are probably illegal to grow since we have a verity of trees, including the white pine. I used to eat goose berries growning up in MO, and boy did I love them. I miss those little tart treats.
I was perplexed why you showed a picture of Oregon Grape berries when mentioning wild blueberries 🙂
Yeah. My mistake. I noticed that after I posted the video. My apologies. Sadly once you post you can’t replace that clip.
Well spotted
Growing up in Canada, we had black current jam with pourage. It was an amazing tasting dish my Grandma would make every time we visited.
Don't you mean: Poorage ?
Blackcurrant juice is a very popular drink in the UK
They're all over Canada. We grow them in my community garden, I make jelly out of them.
Hi Laura how are you doing
I just bought black current mixed juice today. So.... Yeah it's sold at most store's. So glad it's legal now. I never knew it was outlawed. At least where I am at it's legal. Some other plants are still banned
I grew up with grandparents that had like 20 red current plants. Grandma would make great pies out of them. I love eating them straight off the plant. They have a tartness that is a family favorite. I have been wanting to get some to plant in my yard.
Used to love blackcurrants and redcurrants and gooseberries. Not as easy to get them now, in some areas in the UK. Something to be said for the pre supermarket days
4:44 is Oregon grape.4:40. Mahonia Aquifolium. Not related, but edible.
I've found these at farmers markets, they make a tasty treat. 😋
I knew of their health benefits, however I didn't know the history of its use in the lab or the white pine blister rust. 🤔🙂
Goodness bless you, thanks for sharing this. 😀
The ban was lifted in Oregon because there’s so many native species of Ribes all over the wilderness that it was impossible to enforce. People in my area forage like crazy. But what got the ban lifted was a farmer looking to raise black currants. Here’s a little clip from an article I read: “There are now black currant growers in other states that have lifted the ban-including New York, Oregon, Illinois and Minnesota-who commercially grow the once-forbidden berries. The ban still remains on the books in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia and West Virginia. In some places, like Michigan, a permit is required to plant black currants anywhere in the state.”
🙏💕🧿🤚🏽🌿💨🪶🪶
Cool. Knowing they used to be illegal for so long is what lead me to order them when I found out they were starting to sell them in my state. Now I have 1 blackcurrent and one red current growing in my mom's backyard.
Interesting, I have Glaucoma in one eye and it hasn't changed in about 15 years. I trusting the Lord to heal it and God willing one day he will, but I like currants so I could add more to my diet. 🤔🙂🙏 thanks for sharing.
Glad it hasn't gotten worse. If they help, wonderful. Either way they are enjoyable. Blessings. I will pray for you.
Hemp seed and stalk tea is very good at assisting in healing glaucoma. Don't worry it won't make you high.
So 3min in and I still don't know why this berry was banned.
Great vid! Thanks for taking the time to post this.
The fruit that is always up to date…being they are currant
Several companies now market currents. They are sold as Zante currents or current raisins.
Zantes are raisins, from the Corinth grape, not Ribes currants.
@@Erewhon2024 Thank you. I didn't know that. Today is a good day. I learned something new about plants.
I lived in Germany and in the UK and fell in love with blackcurrants! Always wondered Y I did not see them in the U.S.. Now I know.
If they ban something, make sure you get it.
Hi Robbie 👋 how are you doing
It’s weird because there many different currant and gooseberry species native to the USA and Canada ribes aureum is one of them that are native
So good. I had my best blackcurrant harvest this year. I made a video on the easiest and best way to preserve and use them..
Please share your channel with us!
do you have heirloom black currant ive been looking on google but can't find any
I have bushes in Quebec but they aren’t happy in my wet clay soil...😢 they are barely surviving
@@ChristianLove7 just tap on her picture to go to her channel
Thank you sir, I will absolutely look into it for central Illinois. When I was a young man I recall my grandparents having a Gooseberry bush in the yard. The pies were wonderful, I really wanna try this plant!
we ate gooseberries as a kid in Northern Wisconsin
How nice to have them growing around you. Blessings.
They are pretty sour.
I live in Canada, never knew they were illegal anywhere. I have black currants growing wild in my back yard, not a lot but any time I'm walking by I grab a handful to eat. Quite a pleasant flavor.
I grew up in Bavaria Germany and this was a fruit I am familiar with tart but loaded with flavor…the Deep South here in Georgia is not where I can find them far tooooo hot…thank you for sharing this …stay blessed
I have been to Bavaria and it is beautiful. Blessings to you.
I live in the south USA and planted dozens of gooseberry and currants. They die when it gets hot and dry here. I have tried so many times. Rhubarb also dies here. Too HOT you are right!
You grew up in Bravaria.. My descendants were in that area. "Eisenhauer " and a village I think .."Eiterbach". Metal workers. Made swords for German imperial military. WWI. They came to America ca. 1743.
They were involved in vineyards as well.
@@inharmonywithearth9982 my luck with rhubarb was a bust as well absolutely shocked that I’m growing raspberries here but thrilled to be able to harvest what I thought was never possible
@@HealthAndHomestead thank you many fond memories of picking berries and foraging as a child…we need to educate children about edibles to pass this along…
In Russia everyone's growing currant, making jams, jellies and pies
you can also dry them ( look like tiny raisins )
They sell those in UK supermarkets.
My great grandmother's current jam would make you a toast addict! Lol
Thank you, my path in life crossed with a Man Charles Elmer Fox/ Reefer Charlie(Hobo name)/ Doc (locally known). He was born and raised in Indiana and fondest memory was spending summers with his grandparents which he swore were full blooded Delaware Indianas. He would spend most of his time foraging and currents were on the top of his list of favorites whether they straight off the bush, in Grandmas pie or on a piece of toast! He wrote a couple of books during his life ' Tales of American Hobo' and 'Weeds and other good things to eat'. He had a disagreement with the publisher and yanked it from press. An Artist/ Photograher was not!
Hi Susan how are you doing
I am doing fine and you? I also watched your video on honey and the only thing I will add after using honey decades for sore throats is that it does best locally sourced
@@susanpeters4608 I'm glad you're doing great, Where are you from?
THANK YOU I grow all three of these red, black currents & gooseberries. I never knew this important information! Now I love them even more.
We get to grow them here in Oregon thankfully.
My family had red currants for over a hundred years growing in upstate NY (Waterloo). And they made red current jelly and currant raspberry jellies. I guess no one told them?
All berries I grew up with, yummy stuff!!!
They are yummy.
My peeve regarding currants is that "currant" also refers to a small raisin and every time I think I've found a source of actual currants from the genus Ribes, it turns out to be the raisins instead. A dried currant (raisin) and a dried black currant (Ribes) look very similar so if the product is pictured on the packaging, it's hard to know which one you're looking at. Ingredient lists (in the U.S. at least) don't specify which currant it is, so I have to actually buy the product to find out and EVERY SINGLE TIME it turns out to be the raisin!
EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!
Just taste test them in store. False advertising has consequences
I was raised near Düsseldorf and gooseberries (Stachelbeeren) were a gift from god to me. I have tried to grow gooseberries here in Colorado and can only get the red variety which to me doesn't taste very good. I wonder if the yellow/green, large variety is still not allowed to be sold here. Or do I just need to keep looking? My daughter keeps telling me that I'm on a wild goose chase. Again, near my home town we had another type of currant that was translucent, almost clear. It was sweeter and less tart than the red which are my favorite currant. I find the black to be a bit astringent. I grow red and black currants in our garden and the plants are prolific.
A wild gooseberry chase? lol
I've wanted to try currants for years.
I take a supplement restorvol.... funny that I could probably get it for free if I took a walk in the woods. It can be grown where I live, in Wisconsin. Thank you for this. I just retired and am having fun walking around and looking at all the wonder in the woods and along roadsides!
In Finland, almost every family grows currants in their own yard. We make juices, jams, wines etc from it. I didn’t even know its illegal somewhere 😂
Thanks for the video, God bless you sir.
You are welcome. Blessings to you.
I've been seeing plants that have leaves that look an awful lot like that coming up in my yard but I don't think currents grow in Texas so it must be something else.
It would have been helpful if you defined how to identify this plant.