Ribisel - Healthy Recipes And More

Currant

The small, bulging berries have a sweet and sour aroma and are particularly juicy. Due to their intense color - they are usually deep red - they entice you to snack on the bush. Classic processing is currant juice and jam. Over 50 different types provide colors from light to dark red, white, yellow and black. Numerous ingredients have a health-promoting effect and make currants not only a tasty, but also a healthy snack…

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• Botany
• ingredients
• Use and preparation
• storage

Botany

The red currant (Ribes rubrum) belongs together with the gooseberry to the gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae), genus Ribes. The berries grow on thornless bushes that can grow up to two meters high. There are short stalks on the berries, many fruits together form a cluster. The currant is also known under the names currant or garden berry.

In total there are around 50 different types of currant, which differ in taste and appearance. Depending on the variety, the berry color is light to dark red, white or yellow. The black currant (Ribes nigrum) also belongs to the genus Ribes, it is better known as black currant. Its berries are deep black and purple in color. The name "currant" is derived from the first ripening time around "St. John's Day" at the end of June.

Fresh local currants are available from late June to August.

Note Red currant bushes like it very sunny in the garden, so they produce less acidic berries.

ingredients

Currants have a low energy content of around 33 kcal / 100 g and at the same time provide many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, calcium and iron. The black currant has a particularly high vitamin C content of 177 mg / 100 g, which is around four times as high as in citrus fruits. The intense color of the berries is due to flavonoids, which can have a positive effect on health. Flavonoids have antioxidant properties and can have a positive effect on the immune system. The contained soluble fiber pectin promotes digestion and lowers cholesterol. For more information, see Dietary Fiber. The ingredients of currants depend on the variety and ripening.

Ingredients Red currant	per 100 g edible portion, raw	Ingredients Red currant	per 100 g edible portion, raw
Energy (kcal)	33	Iron (mg)	0.9
Fat (g)	0.2	Vitamin A (µg)	4.2
Protein (g)	1.1	Vitamin B1 (mg)	0.04
Carbohydrates (g)	4.8	Vitamin B2 (mg)	0.03
Dietary fiber (g)	3.5	Niacin (mg)	0.2
Potassium (mg)	257	Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.05
Calcium (mg)	29	Vitamin C (mg)	36
Magnesium (mg)	13	Vitamin E (mg)	0.7

Ingredients Black currant	per 100 g edible portion, raw	Ingredients Black currant	per 100 g edible portion, raw
Energy (kcal)	39	Iron (mg)	1.3
Fat (g)	0.2	Vitamin A (µg)	14th
Protein (g)	1.3	Vitamin B1 (mg)	0.05
Carbohydrates (g)	6.1	Vitamin B2 (mg)	0.05
Dietary fiber (g)	6.8	Niacin (mg)	0.3
Potassium (mg)	310	Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.08
Calcium (mg)	43	Vitamin C (mg)	177
Magnesium (mg)	17th	Vitamin E (mg)	1.9

Use and preparation

Currants can be eaten raw, for example in a fruit salad or in desserts such as yoghurt or curd cream. They are often made into jam, jelly, puree and chutney, "Rote Grütze" is known. Due to their decorative appearance, they are also suitable as toppings for cakes or tarts, for example currant slices with a snow cap are known. Their sweet and sour taste also goes well with savory foods such as cheese or game. Currants are easy to process into juices and other drinks.

storage

Currants are best eaten fresh or processed as they are difficult to store. The pressure-sensitive fruits should only be placed loosely and carefully, the small green stalks should remain on the berries as long as possible. They can be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of three days. The berries should also be washed along with the stems. Just before consumption or processing, carefully pluck the stems off with your fingers or wipe the fruit with a fork. Currants are good for freezing - to prevent the fruit from clumping, they can be pre-frozen on a tray, for example.