Peashoot salad

Peashoot salad

Blackcurrants: Why Purple is the new Green

Blackcurrants: Why Purple is the new Green

A deciduous bush that is native to northern Europe and Asia, blackcurrants have been cultivated in the UK for around 500 years and used by herbalists since the middle ages to treat a wide range of illnesses ranging from urinary tract diseases and bladder stones to liver disorders, coughs, colds and lung infections.  Modern research identifies the presence of high quantities of anthocyanins (indicated by the berries’ dark purple colour) as the reason for these disease-busting qualities.  Anthocyanins are anti-inflammatory and can help ease the symptoms of arthritis, cardiovascular disease and allergy-induced asthma.  Recent research is also investigating whether they can help guard against Alzheimer’s and other degenerative neurological conditions.

During the 2nd world war when oranges were hard to come by, the British government encouraged the cultivation of blackcurrants as a good source of vitamin C and by 1942 almost all the UK crop was being turned into cordials and syrups which were given free to children to combat nutritional deficiencies.  Sadly, the legacy of this seems to be that we have forgotten how else to eat our blackcurrants and now have only 40 commercial growers left in the UK.  Blackcurrants make the most delicious pies, crumbles, fools, ice creams and cheesecakes as well as jams and jellies and their astringency sets off meat such as pork, duck, lamb and venison to a tee.  They freeze brilliantly so can be used year round and, of course, are wonderful to drink; crème de cassis is an obvious idea, but how about making blackcurrant schnapps with vodka, berries and sugar.  Don’t forget to add a couple of the leaves to enhance the flavour of this wonderful alternative to sloe gin.

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