I've decided to put hand to keyboard and write about some of the things I'm truly passionate about. Today I'm going to write about currants.
The first thing to say about currants is that they are amazing fruits. Black currants are extremely high in Vitamin C (more per gram than an orange), and are also a rich source of gamma-linolenic acid which is an essential fatty acid. Another thing to be said about black currants is that they are an effective monoamine oxidase inhibitor (which means they have chemicals that are used to treat depression). Red currants and white currants on the other hand (which are my personal favorites), are high in Vitamin C as well, and to quote Wikipedia, "English and German language herbalist sources consider redcurrant berries to have fever-reducing, sweat-inducing, menstrual-flow inducing, mildly laxative, astringent, appetite increasing, blood cleansing, diuretic and digestive properties."
I pretty much love everything about currants. I have for some time been trying to grow a couple bushes, but have pretty much met failure except one bush. This bush is starting to look great, and just with a little miracle-gro to aid it on its way, it should be more than thriving in no time. When springtime comes, I intend to start a new crop of currant bushes, and using my knowledge from last time, I hope for much greater success this year.
Currants aren't terribly well known in the United States, and are much more popular in Europe. I didn't actually even know of them until I took a trip to the UK with my dad in 2003. Ever since I have been a full blown fan of their flavor, their food properties, and the cultivation of the plant. I think it would be wonderful to live in a cottage, with a bunch of berry bushes in the back, and write for a living. What a dream! So, if you haven't ever had currants, try them, you shouldn't regret it.
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In darkness let me dwell; the ground shall sorrow be,
The roof despair, to bar all cheerful light from me;
The walls of marble black, that moist'ned still shall weep;
My music, hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep.
Thus, wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb,
O let me dying live, till death doth come, till death doth come.
-John Dowland
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
Quod fuimus, estis; quod sumus, vos eritis.
About Me
The roof despair, to bar all cheerful light from me;
The walls of marble black, that moist'ned still shall weep;
My music, hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep.
Thus, wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb,
O let me dying live, till death doth come, till death doth come.
-John Dowland
2 comments:
I need to try currants. I remember them being popular in Britain, and in fact their skittles flavors had black currant instead of grape. I should look into these more. Are they berry type fruits? Or more like pomegranates? And is there somewhere in the states I can purchase some to try? You have piqued my interest!
Currants are a berry type fruit of the genus ribes (another member of that family is the gooseberry). If you are going back to BYU, I've talked to the proprietor of a shop in Salt Lake City, and he states that he gets some fresh currants in the summer. You can find preserves of them for use on bread, meat, or whatever, and they are a little easier to find.
I would say as far as black currant goes, I think it's harder to get into than red currant, but I still like both!
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