Red & White Currants - First Season

I have memories of a red currant bush on Deer Creek Drive in Ferndale. The bush was on the left side of the front door and my mom would make currant jam if she could get enough from the bush after us kids got done picking at them. It seemed like a good fit having these in my own yard.

I have four currant bushes at the moment. Two red, one white, and one black. The red and white varieties are good enough to eat out of hand. I'm told the black varieties are better for jams and compotes. Three of my four bushes gave me berries this first year. One red variety did not, but it is in pretty heavy shade so that may be the problem.

Of the three with fruit, the red and white varieties are ready to eat. Since it's our first season the harvest is small. Just big enough to get a sampling of better things to come in future years.

First up - Jonkheer Van Tets. I tasted this sweet red berry and immediately thought back to those sweet red berries from my childhood. I couldn't describe their flavor by memory but as soon as I tasted it, I knew that was a flavor I had known and loved 25 years ago.

Jonkheer Van Tets

Next up is my white variety called White Imperial Currant. I would describe the flavor was similar to the red but maybe slightly more mild. Very nice. This bush was bigger when I got it so it's no surprise it gave me a larger yield. 

White Imperial Currant

Amazingly my pups have not discovered these tasty little morsels. They found my gooseberry bushes and ate every last berry on those bushes - even though they are super tart and unripe. I hope they don't discover the joys of currants or I may never be able to eat another one again.