Blackcurrant

Season

Blackcurrants ripen in July and stay on the bush for up to four weeks in quantity and well into the Autumn in small numbers shrivelling up to taste a bit like tart raisins. This means that picking can be planned for a good day for machine picking and also that there is plenty of time for hand picking them. 

The best flavour is realised if they are not picked too soon. If they are left on the bush the sugar content is increased and this means that when juicing for use as a drink less sweetening needs to be added.

For the user, the differences between varieties of Blackcurrants are of lesser importance than with other soft fruit, since all modern varieties are of good quality and flavour.

Ben Connan and its smaller cousin Ben Sarek are the most popular varieties grown, but Ben Lomond is still about.

A less common variety you might see is Ben Tirran which is 2 weeks later than the others. Ben Tirran is the variety grown at Priest Farm and we are open to self pickers from the end of July onwards.

The Blackcurrant bushes at Priest Farm are 14 years old and although normally they would be replanted to increase yield their size and root structure means that they are able to survive in competition with other plants while still producing an acceptable crop. This is a useful feature for a permaculture site.