Pudwill Farms near Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) grows these beautiful red currants, and bring them to the Santa Barbara Farmers Market their beautiful variety of berries. This tiny berry is related to the gooseberry. Currants are black, red, or white. The black ones are used for preserves, syrups and liqueurs. These lovely little gems grow on bushes. They can be eaten off the vine, however they are quite tart. They are not related to what is sold as dried currants which are Zante grapes/raisins.
An article in the LA Times remarked "Their dense flavor is perfectly suited to jams and coulis, which also allow you to easily strain out the seeds. A bit of fine mesh is all it takes, unless you want to duplicate the technique used in Bar-le-Duc, a town in northeastern France famous for its red currant preserves. There, since the 14th century, the seeds have been removed from the fruit by hand. With a quill."
Currants are high in vitamin C and beneficial antioxidants. The black currants are being studied for its medical and nutritional benefits. To read more about the medical benefits of black currants, click here.
Wishing you all a lovely Sunday, Cheers, Ron & Alexandra
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