Crandall Black Currant - Hardy Fruit Bearing Shrub

Looking for plants that produce berries that you can eat and enjoy in Jams and Jellies?

One of the plants that is often overlooked in our Cold Climate Gardens is the Black Currant. The hardiest variety in this Ribes family is the Crandall Black Currant. Currants are very hardy and easy to grow. They aren't nearly as thirsty as blueberries, birds don't bother them and they do well in partial shade.

Black currants are a nutrient rich food and powerful medicine. They have at least three times as much vitamin C, potassium and magnesium as blueberries, four to six times as much calcium and much more zinc, iron, folic acid, vitamin A and flavenoids.

Black currants have been shown to relieve vision problems and inflammation, stimulate the immune system and fight fungal and viral infections. Even black currant seeds can be valuable in the diet, because of their high levels of essential fatty acids, minerals, and fiber, they have been crushed and incorporated into packaged breakfast cereal.

In preserving, black currants can be used in the same way as red currants. I have found them to be especially good made into a syrup, jams and Jellies.