Blackcurrant

Blackcurrant is a small, glossy, deep-purple berry that grows in dangling clusters on woody shrubs. Its flavor is intensely tart and aromatic with cassis and piney notes; the flesh is juicy with fine seeds and high pectin that helps set preserves. Cooks use it for jams, cordials, syrups, sorbets, sauces for game, and baked fillings, and it is sold fresh, frozen, dried, and as concentrate.

Native to northern Europe and parts of Asia, it became a staple in British, Scandinavian, and Eastern European cuisines and liqueurs. Cultivation spread to temperate regions worldwide, with North American production historically limited by white pine blister rust and now gradually expanding.