The blackcurrant is back (From Worcester News)

The blackcurrant is back

10:13am Monday 19th July 2010 in

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THE British weather seems to have got something right at last. Remember when we were all skidding about on snowy roads in the winter?

Well, combined with the knotted handkerchief on the head, sunshine we’ve enjoyed in the early part of the summer has paved the way for a bumper blackcurrant harvest.

The pickers are now out in the plantations of Herefordshire and Worcestershire gathering in a crop that is much bigger and sweeter than usual. In some parts of the area it’s earlier too.

“A cold winter keeps the blackcurrant bushes dormant, while a warm spring and summer leads to bigger fruit,” said Jo Hilditch, chairman of the Blackcurrant Foundation. “This year we have had ideal conditions.”

Mrs Hildltch was working in PR and marketing when her father died 15 years ago and she inherited the family blackcurrant farm at Lyonshall, near Kington in Herefordshire. Now with 120 acres of bushes ready to be harvested, she is one of the more attractive public faces of British blackcurrants, famous enough to have the Hairy Bikers wending their way up her farm drive when they were in the area recently. The pair have acclaimed her a “local food hero”, for not only is the farm a major supplier to Ribena, but Mrs Hilditch has also diversified into producing British Cassis and taking on the French at their own game.

For years blackcurrants appeared a forgotten fruit in the UK, one that had seemingly gone out of fashion, but this summer it will be back with a bang.

“Tests are showing this season’s crop is much sweeter than normal,” said Mrs Hilditch. “The berries are larger and the volume of fruit greater. It should be a very good year.”

Which is good news for everyone’s health, because a study in 2007 found blackcurrants are more nutritious than almost every other fruit. They contain the highest levels of disease fighting anti-oxidants and high levels of vitamin C.

“Eating blackcurrants or drinking blackcurrant juice as part of a healthy diet, is an easy, natural way to improve your antioxidant intake and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” Mrs Hilditch said.

Ironically, it was the Second World War that led to an upsurge in blackcurrant production in the UK.

Because of the conflict most fruits rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, became impossible to obtain for the vast majorty were imported from abroad.

Therefore the British Government encouraged blackcurrant cultivation to fill the gap and many rural households had a few bushes in their back garden.

From 1942 on, almost the entire commercial British blackcurrant crop was made into blackcurrant syrup or cordial and distributed to the nation’s children free, giving rise to the last popularity of blackcurrant flavouring.

However, as the nation regained its feet once more, blackcurrants tended to go out of fashion, possibly because of the connection with wartime austerity, and more exotic fruits took over.

Now the pendulum is swinging back and the humble blackcurrant is smiling once more in the summer sun.