Currants are a great addition to any homestead. Native to the United States, currants are a flavorful and versatile berry used in jellies, jams, wine, cordials, puddings, and pies. Currants, no matter whether they are black, red, pink, or white, establish readily in the homestead garden where they will provide an annual abundance of sweet and succulent berries for decades to come.
醋栗灌木是家庭花园中很有吸引力的一种添加物，靠着墙壁、棚架和地基占据了很少的空间。每一株植物都长成一棵小树，侧枝短而结实，果实就在侧枝上形成。它们相对较小的植株大小，易于栽培，和美味的果实使它们很适合在家栽培。
A cold tolerant, long-living perennial, currant bushes thrive in United States Plant Hardiness Zones 2 through 5. Currant bushes attract bees, birds, and butterflies to the home garden, so plant plenty for everyone.
Currant bushes are available forpurchase online,or from local nurseries and home and garden supply centers. Choose healthy, bare root plants that will establish quickly once planted.
Experienced gardeners and growers suggest planting several different varieties of currant bushes to provide a steady, tasty crop all summer.
Resistant to mildew, the plants are quick to establish and produce significant growth the first year. They will also have an abundant crop within 18 to 24 months. Full fruit is achieved within three years.
At maturity, most varieties of currant bushes will bear up to ten pounds of fruit per year.
Currant Bush Varieties
White, Pink, And Red Currants
White, pink and red currants are all the same species,Ribes Sativum. The white and pink varieties are albino selections of the red currant.
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Since the fruit of white and pink currants is less acidic than the more colorful varieties, the pale colored fruits are considered by some to be the most flavorful and best for eating fresh. White, pink, and red currants are self-fertile. A single plant will set fruit without other currant cultivars nearby.
Black Currants
Ribes Nigrum, the European black currant, has a pungent scent and unusually delicious taste. Black currants are widely grown throughout Northern Europe for their high content of vitamin C.
Only some varieties of black currant are self-fertile, so it is best to plant a second cultivar to ensure the fruit sets. Black currants are sweet and flavorful when fully ripe, they exhibit a deep, blackish-purple color.
Favorite Currant Varieties For Homestead Planting
Rovada
Presenting large, luscious fruit in profusion from early July through early September, Rovada gifts the gardener with six to eight pounds of berries per plant. The bright red currants are also exhibited on long stems, making them easy to harvest.
红醋栗非常适合装罐或冷冻。整个冬天，这种水果都是馅饼、果酱和果冻的完美选择。你的第一茬可望在种植后的六个月内收获。
Pink Champagne
The Pink Champagne variety produces high yields, is exceptionally flavorful, and great for fresh eating.
The plant is disease and pest resistant, but produces a smaller yield than other varieties.
Ben Connan
A heavy cropping, small and compact plant, the “Ben Connan” variety of currant bush produces a wealth of big black berries with a vibrant flavor. The Ben Connan variety is early cropping, creating an abundance of berries beginning in July and continuing until the first frost in the fall.
Although the bush will produce fruit the first year, it truly shines by the second year. This variety will produce as much as eight to ten pounds of fruit per bush at maturity. This hardy plant is mildew and frost resistant and quickly establishes to grace the garden for many decades.
Big Ben
Large and lush, the black “Big Ben” variety of currant bush stands head and shoulders above the rest. This bush bears huge, strong-skinned, shiny berries that are almost twice the size of other common currant bush varieties. The Big Ben is a heavy producer, bearing several pounds of fruit per bush at maturity.
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The flavorful berries are born on naturally arching heavy stems for easy picking. This variety of currant bush is packed full of flavor. Berries from the Big Ben can be enjoyed fresh, or used in jams, jellies, cobblers, cakes, cookies, and crumbles.
Tips For Growing Currants
Growing Conditions
While currants will tolerate less-than-perfect growing conditions, they prefer full sun and nutrient rich, well-drained soil. Although currants will grow in soil with a pH between 4 to 7, they flourish when established in soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.
Experienced gardeners suggest planting currant bushes in a location that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. When currants are planted in a heavily shaded area, they will exhibit less vigor and produce smaller fruit.
Preparing The Soil
Before planting, work the soil well, removing rocks, debris, and perennial weeds. While currants will tolerate marginal soil, they perform best in soil enhanced with generous amounts of organic material such as well-aged herbivore (cow, horse, sheep, goat, llama) manure.
你应该在春天种醋栗丛。这就给了植物足够的时间在炎热的天气开始之前长出成熟的根系并扎根。网上或当地苗圃出售的大多数醋栗树都是光秃秃的。在种植前，将光秃秃的根部浸泡在水中至少两到三小时。
种植醋栗茎的深度是土壤覆盖在根球上面的前两到三个芽。这将鼓励一个蓬勃的根系，并发展多茎。
White, pink, and red currant bush varieties should be planted approximately three feet apart. Black currants, which are more rapid growers, should be planted about five feet apart.
However, to ensure an abundant harvest, experienced gardeners recommend planting more than one variety of cultivar to ensure a bountiful crop of berries.
Choosing A Mulch
在醋栗丛底部周围铺上一层厚厚的、2 - 3英寸厚的有机覆盖物，如松针、花园堆肥、树叶或木屑。地膜将有助于保持水分和控制杂草。
If you use a low-nitrogen mulch, such as sawdust or wood chips, supplement your plants with an extra nitrogen fertilizer. Keep in mind that yellowed leaves and less than productive growth are signs of a lack in nitrogen.
Watering And Maintenance
Currant bushes require well-drained soil that stays slightly damp. Do not allow the soil to dry out completely. Currants grow best with at least one-inch of water per week.
Be sure to prune currant bushes annually to shape, remove weak or dead canes, and keep the canopy open. Prune your currant bushes in late fall after the weather cools and the plant is dormant. Keep in mind that currant bushes produce the most berries on new wood. Old canes should be removed annually to encourage new growth.
别忘了在鸟儿偷走你的果实之前，从你的醋栗丛中采摘(享受)香甜多汁的浆果!
A Bountiful Harvest
Currants can be eaten fresh from the garden, canned easily, or tossed in the freezer for later use.
Speaking of canning, here is a tasty recipe for currant jelly:
Currant Jelly
Ingredients
- Currants
- Water
- Sugar and honey (to taste)
Instructions
- Wash the currants and keep the stems – stems provide added pectin for a firm jelly set.
- 清洗后，将醋栗放入无反应的炖锅中，用水覆盖。
- 把醋栗和水慢慢煮开。
- 一旦水沸腾，盖上盖子，用小火炖20到30分钟。偶尔搅拌。
- 当醋栗煮熟后，把锅从火上移开，用马铃薯捣碎器捣碎，直到有果肉。
- Spoon pulp into a jelly bag, or cheesecloth, to drain over a large glass bowl.
- Allow the pulp to drip and drain overnight. Do not squeeze the jelly bag, this will cause the jelly liquid to cloud.
- The next day, place strained liquid into a non-reactive saucepan.
- Add sugar or honey to taste.
- Bring the liquid to a soft boil, cooking until a teaspoon of the liquid can be placed in a cool saucer.
- Pour the hot jelly mixture into eight-ounce, or smaller, sterile glass jars with two-piece lids. Allow a quarter-inch of headspace.
- Wipe rims with a clean cloth dipped in boiling water. Seal jars and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.
References:
- Blackcurrants,Royal Horticulture Society
- Growing Currants And Gooseberries In Your Home Garden,Oregon State University Extension
- Currants And Gooseberries,UMass-Amherst – Center For Agriculture, Food And The Environment
- Currants And Gooseberries In The Home Garden,University of Minnesota Extension
- Red Currant Wine,Rochester Area Home Winemakers
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