Every year we look forward to the arrival of fresh currants and gooseberries. Like gooseberries (see last week's Yum! blog: Gooseberry delights) tiny, sour currants grow well in our northern climate but are less common in Canada than in Europe. Though it seems that most Canadians who know currants grow their own, they are becoming increasingly familiar at fruit markets and roadside stands. So, we want to get the word out about our favourite underused summer fruit before it's too late.
One of the complications with currants is that there are two very different fruits with the same name. Fresh currants are small clusters of berries (black, red and white) with smooth, shiny skins and rich, tangy juice. They are popular for making cordials, jams and jellies. The more familiar dried currants are tiny, raisinlike fruit (made from the Corinth grape) that are baked into fruitcakes and scones. While dried currants are available year round, fresh ones have a short window of availability from early to mid-summer.
Black currants are prized for their intense and distinctive sharp-sweet berry flavour. They are almost always too tart to eat raw and this makes them ideal for preserving. Because of their high pectin content, they make excellent jams and jellies whether alone or combined with other fruit.
Black currants' concentrated flavour makes them popular for liqueurs, syrups and infused vodka. The Dijon region of France is famous for its cordial Crème de Cassis. This sweet black currant aperitif (first produced by French monks in the 16th century as a cure for snakebites, jaundice and wretchedness) is often mixed with white wine, soda water or, best of all, champagne to make a Kir Royal. Some lovely versions of cassis are also made in Quebec, as well as fruit-wine-style by Southbrook Winery in Ontario. A similar, nonalcoholic British cordial called Ribena (named from the botanical name for the blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum) makes a refreshing drink when mixed with soda and lime.
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