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Red Currant

What is the origin of the currant fruit?

Currants are tiny, seedless, sweet, and nutritious grapes growing mostly on Greece's Peloponnese peninsula and the Lonian islands of Zante and Cephalonia. Corinth has been a port of origin for this specific variety of dried fruit for ages, and the name is most likely a corruption of ‘Raisin de Corinthe.'
Currants are no longer grown in North America because a fungus decimated nearly all currant-producing plants in the 19th century. As a result, they are not available fresh in these areas. The word gooseberry stems from a sweet and sour sauce made from these currants that the English used to serve with mackerel.
It has been cultivated in Europe since the Middle Ages, and we know it was present in the gardens and on the table of King Louis XIV of France in the 16th century.

What Are The Nutritional and caloric values ​​of red currant?

Currants are berries that grow on the currant tree. Their fruits are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant substances.
Its culture revolves around three types of animals:
Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa); black currant or black currant (Ribes nigrum), whose fruits are called blackcurrant.
The currant is one of the least energetic fruits, with more than 82 percent water content. Carbohydrates, which include fructose, glucose, and sucrose, provide for the majority of its calorie intake. They also give it a sweet taste, with organic acids providing a tangy flavor.
It's high in vitamin C, vitamin B1, and vitamin B3, as well as minerals like iron and potassium.
Flavonoids and carotenoids are two antioxidant chemicals found in it ( beta carotene ).
It has a high concentration of insoluble fibers, such as lignin, celluloses, and hemicelluloses.
Redcurrant is one of the fruits high in pectins, soluble fibers that aid in the jellification of fruit juice, which explains why it's so popular in jam manufacturing.
Currants include a variety of active compounds that are very useful to the health. Thus, they are high in: vitamins C, E, B1, and B3; minerals such as potassium and iron; calcium and phosphorus; fibers, particularly pectin; fructose, sucrose, and glucose, the sugars found naturally in fruits; and antioxidants such as beta-carotene and flavonoids.
Currants can be collected during the months of June and July (400 tonnes produced in France each year).
Currants have an extremely low calorie intake because they are made up of more than 80% water. Thus, 100 grams of berries provide 30 kcal. They are thus advised in the context of: calorie-restricted diets; weight-loss diets.
Nutritional and caloric values ​​of redcurrant
For 100 g of currants:

Name of constituentsUnityAverage content
EnergyKcal56
waterg83.95
Proteing1.4
Carbohydratesg13.8
sugarg7.37
Starchg
Dietary fiberg4.3
Lipidsg0.2
Saturated FA(fat acid)g0.017
Monounsaturated FAg0.028
Polyunsaturated FAsg0.088
Sodiummg1
Magnesiummg13
Phosphorusmg44
Potassiummg275
Calciummg33
Manganesemg0.187
Total ironmg1
Coppermg0.107
Zincmg0.23
Seleniumµg0.6
Iodineµg
Retinolµg2
Beta caroteneµg25
Vitamin Dµg0
Vitamin E activity (alpha-tocopherol)mg0.1
Vitamin Cmg41
Vitamin B1 or Thiaminemg0.04
Vitamin B2 or Riboflavinmg0.05
Vitamin B3 or PP or Niacinmg0.35667
Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acidmg0.064
Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxinemg0.07
Vitamin B9 or Total Folateµg8
Vitamin Kµg11

What are the health benefits of currants?

red currant

Currants contribute to the body's well-being on a daily basis because of their high nutritious content. They have a particular impact on: the pH of the cells and the acidity of the body, thanks to potassium; the regulation of glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood, thanks to pectin; the premature aging of the body's cells, thanks to antioxidants that fight the free radicals that cause these degradations; the prevention of certain types of cancer, such as colon cancer; protection against germs and infections in the intestines; and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, in particular.
Because of their diuretic qualities, they help the kidneys function, and their high fiber content helps with intestinal transit and digestion.
It's worth noting that a large handful of currants is one of the five fruits and vegetables that should be taken daily.
It is important to note that in order to get the most advantages from currants, it is strongly advised to purchase them organically because 57 percent of those not from organic farming have pesticide residues and 2.8 percent surpass the maximum levels of European regulatory criteria.
The National Health Nutrition Program suggests eating at least 5 servings (of at least 80 g) of fruits and vegetables each day and taking advantage of seasonal variability. The months of June and July are ideal for picking gooseberries. One dish of fruit is the equivalent to a huge handful of currants.
A high intake of vegetables and fruits, particularly currant, has been demonstrated in several studies to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, some malignancies, and other chronic illnesses. Their fibers, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds, as well as their vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds, would all play a substantial protective effect.

The majority of red fruits are nutritious. Currants aren't an exception to this rule.

**Antioxidant power

Currants are also high in phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which have a high antioxidant capacity and can help combat the effects of age and the emergence of certain illnesses.

**Pectin-dense

Currants are high in pectin, a kind of fiber with the ability to create a gel by trapping water. Pectin is reported to offer several health advantages, including decreasing blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Pectin would also be able to prolong stomach emptying, promoting fullness. It has also been researched in relation to some forms of cancer, most notably colon cancer. Eventually, this might build a physical barrier that protects intestinal cells from microbial infection.

**Potassium rich source

Currants are an excellent source of potassium as well. Potassium, like sodium, is an important mineral that serves various roles in the human body. It helps to maintain the body's acid-base balance and maintains the pH inside the cells with the aid of sodium. It is also required for the transmission of nerve impulses, muscular contraction, the efficient functioning of the kidneys and adrenal glands, as well as the synthesis of proteins and glucose metabolism.

**Vitamin C content

Currants are an excellent source of vitamin C. In addition to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C aids in the maintenance of skin integrity, the healing of wounds, the protection of cells against premature aging caused by free radicals, and the facilitation of immunological activities. Furthermore, it aids in the absorption of non-heme iron from plants.

red currant

How to Choose the Best Currants and Keep Them Fresh?

To pick the proper currants, they must be vivid in color and not crushed in the tray.
Currants may be stored in the refrigerator's crisper for two to three days. You may also put them in the freezer.
Red currants are spherical, white or red berries with a diameter of roughly 5mm. Their flesh is sour and packed with little, edible seeds.
Currants come in around fifty different types, ranging in color from red to purple to white and yellow.

red currant

How should Red currants be prepared and How do you match it?

The so-called “grape” currants are high in pectin and are commonly consumed in the form of jellies and jams, compotes, or cooked to be used into certain delicacies such as pies.
They can also be eaten uncooked or in juice form. Currants are part of a well-balanced diet that includes five fruits and vegetables every day.
It's a good idea to pick currants before they reach full maturity if you're going to make jam out of them since they'll have more pectin.
Finally, currants can be served with savory foods such as fowl, particularly gizzards, liver, or cutlets, and fish.
Currants gathered in the wild must be thoroughly cleansed before eating.

Red currants are used to produce compotes, jellies, and jams due to their high pectin content. They are, on the other hand, employed in the production of syrup and wine. They are normally eaten cooked and can be added to puddings, cakes, and pies. They may also be eaten simple, alone or in salads, however they have a sour flavor when fresh. They are delicious with pears, plums, raspberries, and pineapples. Redcurrant juice can also be used in place of vinegar in salad dressing.
Gooseberries may be eaten fresh with a little sugar, but they can also be found in pies, sorbets, jellies and syrups, puddings, and fruit salads. It may also be used to decorate meat or seafood, particularly mackerel.
If you want to produce jams or jellies, consider currants that aren't entirely ripe because their pectin level is higher.
Currants are carefully cooked in a modest amount of water or juice. To counteract the acidic flavor of these berries, add sugar after cooking. When they are fresh, they may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. You may also freeze them whole, with or without sugar. It is best to just wash them while they are in use.