Blackcurrant: health benefits and harms

The history of blackcurrant

Blackcurrant belongs to the gooseberry family. Wild shrubs grew back in the days of Ancient Greece, and in the northern regions – in northern Europe, Siberia. By the XNUMXth century, currants were also known in southern countries.

The name for blackcurrant comes from the word “currant” – that is, it smells strongly. According to the second version, the name came from “nugget”, since this berry “self-born” in the wild in the most unexpected places, it was not planted on purpose. The old name of the Moscow River is Smorodinovka. Its shores are overgrown with wild currants, for a long time the berries were collected from wild bushes.

Then blackcurrant in Our Country began to be planted in monastery gardens, including as a medicinal plant. By the XNUMXth century, new varieties with large berries were bred around the world.

At the same time, in the USA, as in other countries, there was a peak of fungal diseases of the bushes. Someone bred new varieties, someone came up with ways to fight the fungus, but in the USA it was simply forbidden to grow currants. By the 70s, the ban was lifted, but it still exists in some states. Since then, blackcurrants have hardly been grown or eaten there; they have not taken root in the culture.

The composition and calorie content of blackcurrant

Benefits of black currants

The most famous property of blackcurrant is immunity stimulation. And this is no accident: in terms of the concentration of vitamin C, which is used in the treatment of colds, this berry is among the ten most saturated with ascorbic acid products. A small handful of blackcurrants covers the daily requirement of an adult for vitamin C.

Currants contain many different acids, essential oils and pectin. When cooking jam, it is he who thickens the mass. Pectin envelops the stomach and intestines, protecting its walls, and also serves as a nutrient medium for beneficial microbiota.

Blackcurrant contains a huge variety of vitamins and minerals. The concentration of most of them is not high, but the therapeutic effect of the berry is manifested mainly due to a combination of substances that enhance each other’s action.

Blackcurrant, its berries, leaves, buds, bark, are increasingly being studied by scientists. So far, its action is being tested mainly on living cells and laboratory animals. For example, a number of studies have confirmed the ability of blackcurrant to suppress the activity of the influenza and herpes virus. In an experiment on mice taking the extract, it interfered with the attachment of the virus to the cell membrane and its penetration into the cytoplasm.

The properties of currants are known to support the health of the heart and blood vessels. Coumarin and vitamin C thin the blood and reduce the risk of thrombosis, make the walls of blood vessels more elastic. They also inhibit the activity of low-density lipoproteins, which increase the risk of vascular disease.

Harm of black currant

Even in the absence of contraindications, it is not recommended for anyone to eat more than 100 grams of currant at a time. And it is better after eating, so that berry acids do not irritate the gastric mucosa. “Due to the large amount of organic acids in its composition, blackcurrant is best avoided by people with exacerbation of ulcers, gastritis, pancreatitis and other gastrointestinal diseases. There is also a risk of an allergic reaction, so for the first time you need to try it carefully, literally a few berries. Coumarin and vitamin C in currants contribute to blood thinning. This is useful for people with a tendency to thrombosis and with increased blood clotting. But in large quantities, blackcurrant can provoke deterioration, separation of a blood clot. Therefore, it is better to eat a berry a little, ”advises nutritionist Yulia Pigareva.

The use of blackcurrant in medicine

In official medicine, blackcurrant in the form of leaves and dried berries is added to many herbal preparations. They have a diuretic effect, are recommended for beriberi and reduced immunity.

Dietary supplements are also produced in the form of capsules and powders for the prevention of heart disease and improvement of vision. In folk medicine, blackcurrant is brewed as a medicinal tea for colds and joint pain.

Blackcurrant is considered a promising object of scientific research. Even the ability of antioxidant substances from black currant to influence the formation of tumors is being tested: ovaries, cervix, and melanoma.

There has also been a study showing that blackcurrant extract increases the beneficial bacteria in the colon. The extract was given to several dozen women and men, and then studied how the microbiota of their intestines changed. Acting as prebiotics – substances that nourish bacteria and stimulate their growth – currant extract increased the number of lacto and bifidobacteria in all volunteers.

The use of blackcurrant in cooking

The bright taste and aroma of blackcurrant is very popular in cooking. On the basis of berries, marmalade, marshmallow, spicy liqueurs and wines are prepared, to which plant buds can also be added.

Essential oils in the leaves give a unique smell to dishes, so they are used in preservation and pickling. In northern countries there is a national dish – blackcurrant with semolina and sugar.

Blackcurrant mashed with sugar

This preparation will allow you to save vitamins in the maximum amount.

Sort the blackcurrants, peel them from the twigs and wash, let the water drain. Next, grind with a blender, a meat grinder in a puree, or mash with a crush. Add sugar to the puree, mix and refrigerate. Do not fill the jar to the top, leave a little space, as the sugar will dissolve and take up space.

Pre-sterilize jars and lids. You can bake them in the oven (you need to put it in the still cold), in the microwave, or over boiling water.

Black currants are stored without cooking for a maximum of one season in the refrigerator, usually less. You can extend the shelf life by using twice as much sugar, but many will find it too sweet. After opening the jar, the berry should be eaten within a week, so it is more convenient to use small jars.

No Bake Blackcurrant Mousse Cake

A simple cake that does not require baking. So, it also retains all the vitamins in the berries. Cookies can be used any without sprinkling and icing, cookies with cocoa are better to taste. You can use a little more sugar in the recipe, depending on the sweetness of the blackcurrant.

Grind cookies with a blender or pusher until crumbly. Melt the butter and mix with crumbs.

Prepare a detachable form: cover with parchment and lay the cookie crumbs tightly on the bottom. Keep the mold in the refrigerator for at least 10-15 minutes.

At this time, peel the blackcurrants from the twigs, wash, add sugar and grind into a puree. Add sour cream and mix well.

Pour instant gelatin with water or milk, let it swell. Then heat, stirring constantly, until dissolved. Add to it the berry-sour cream mixture and mix.

Pour the prepared mixture into the mold and put it back in the refrigerator for several hours, you can overnight. Serve garnished with a currant sprig, mint leaves and cocoa powder.

How to choose and store blackcurrant

Blackcurrant berries darken as they ripen, so the blacker the berry, the better. More useful berries, collected before shedding. At the same time, during storage, they lose vitamin C, so it is better to buy blackcurrants with green twigs and leaves, as a guarantee of freshness.

Dry berries are stored for up to 5 days at room temperature in a dark place. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, but you will often have to ventilate and sort it out.

A popular way to preserve blackcurrants is quick five-minute jams, but even with such a short cooking, more than half of the vitamin C is destroyed. Freezing and drying at a sufficiently low temperature is the best way to preserve berries. In this form, the berries will lie for six months to a year.