How to pick currants

Currant is the most favorite berry among gardeners and gardeners. In summer cottages, red, white, black currant varieties are often grown. If you adhere to agrotechnical methods, then it is quite possible to grow a rich harvest of not only tasty, but also very useful berries. This article will show you how to pick currants correctly.

Currant picking time

The timing of picking currants is largely determined by belonging to a particular variety. It is also important to consider where the berries are grown. In the southern regions, currants already reach their maturity by mid-summer. And where the climate is more unstable, berries are picked at the end of summer. And even at the beginning of autumn.

It is important to collect both black and red currants only when they are fully ripe. Because unripe currants do not contain useful qualities. And also it is not suitable for freezing, canning and drying. Unripe berries, when eaten, lead to gastrointestinal upset. It is important to remember that not fully ripe currant berries can be harvested only in case of long transportation. If the berries are stored in cool places, then red and black currants ripen in five to seven days.

How to understand that the berries are ripe

There are several signs:

1. Red currant with a rich scarlet hue. And the black is dark purple.
2. When harvesting, the berries are easily and simply detached from their cuttings.
3. Green branches turn brown.
4. Bright, rich, aromatic scent. Sweet and sour taste.
5. Overripe berries are falling from the bush.

On old bushes, currants ripen about seven days later than on young ones. The time of picking the berries determines the region where the plant grows. As well as climate conditions. Cultivation of currant bushes in the southern regions gives the earliest harvest.

About black currant

Black currants grown in Siberia will in most cases mature 45 days after they have bloomed. This is around the beginning of the third month of summer. But in the central region of our country, the ripening period of black currants falls in the middle of the second month of the summer period. And if the weather is hot, then the collection is postponed to the beginning of the month. Black currant varieties are ready to be harvested between 10 and 20 of the first month of the summer period.

About red currants

Red currants grown in Siberia will also turn bright scarlet no earlier than in the first half of the third month of the summer period. Red currant varieties are harvested depending on the current weather. Because in this area, the summer period can be cold or warm. These varieties can be harvested from the first month of the summer period to the second month of the summer period.

The ripening time largely depends on the selected variety. Early ripening varieties will allow you to enjoy the fruits on the 20th of the first month of the summer period. Currants with an average ripening period will yield a harvest on the 10th of the second month of the summer period. Late varieties ripen in the last month of the summer period. Red and white currant varieties are very similar to each other. And their maturation occurs at the same time. Because both have thin skin.

Ways to collect currants

There are several ways to harvest currant crops. When choosing the right one, you need to build on the number of bushes. For small volumes, the collection is done manually.And if the scale of the upcoming collection is impressive, then special tools come to the rescue. Collecting black and red currants is a rather difficult and time-consuming work. To somehow simplify and facilitate this activity, various devices are often used.

The most reliable and convenient assistant is the berry collector. He copes with his task perfectly. Moreover, it is very comfortable due to its low weight. Thanks to him, the harvested berries have an intact appearance. In this case, the leaves are not injured, but remain on the bushes. As a result of such an adaptation, gardeners save three to four times the time spent on collection.

In order to carefully and without damaging the berries, it is necessary to collect red currants, then use a combine in the form of a comb.

How to pick currants correctly

The timing of its storage directly depends on how correctly the crop was harvested. There are several rules for this.

1. You need to collect on time to prevent shedding and overripening of berries.
2. When the crop was harvested plays a big role. It is necessary to harvest in the morning or in the evening. It is important to choose not a hot day, no precipitation. If you do not adhere to these tips, then as a result of collecting in cloudy weather, those berries that will be collected will not be subject to storage. And when harvesting in the heat, the berries will lose their taste. As well as useful items.
3. It is important to prepare in advance not a wet and not too deep container, where the harvested crop will be added. It is recommended to sprinkle the fruits in a thin layer to prevent the peel from cracking and crushing.
4. The peculiarity of black currant is uneven ripening. Therefore, the collection is divided into two, and sometimes three receptions. It is necessary to pluck it together with the stalk one by one. But the red currant is plucked straight with a whole branch.
5. If unripe berries are detected during sorting, then they can be placed in the refrigerator. After a few days, they will take on the appearance of an outwardly ripe berry. But in terms of properties, they will be noticeably inferior to those fruits that have reached their maturity on the bushes.
6. When the crop is harvested, it is carefully sorted out. Spoiled berries and excess trash are sorted out. Twigs are removed from red currants. To get rid of excess moisture, you need to sprinkle the currants on a paper towel or a thin cloth, in a thin layer.

How to pick currants and save berries

There are several recommendations on how to keep the berries longer.

• It is allowed to store black and red currants without loss of taste and vitamin elements for 7-14 days in the refrigerator.
• Do not wash the berries before storing. It should only be dried and, if it is a red currant, then removed from the branch.
• In the case when it is necessary to extend the storage time of the harvested crop, sealed containers come to the rescue. As well as glass containers.
• The longest storage method is freezing. So the currants can be stored throughout the year. But at the same time, unfortunately, all the vitamin components are lost. Despite the excellent taste.
• The most appropriate method for preserving all the necessary elements is the canning of berries. It is possible to save currant berries and not lose its valuable elements by making raw jam. Red berries are ground and covered with granulated sugar in a 1: 1 ratio. After the sugar dissolves, you need to put the jam for storage in clean jars.
• There is also an equally effective way to preserve currant fruits - to prepare dried fruits from them. To do this, you should re-sort, rinse and dry the berries. And then, laying in one row on a baking sheet, place in the oven for 2-3 hours. At the same time, the temperature in the oven should reach 200-230 degrees. And the door must be slightly opened so that the air can circulate freely. If the berries have already stopped secreting juice during the cooking process, then they are ready.

Collecting currants is a painstaking and long-term work.But this process deserves to try to properly harvest and preserve the crop. And thus provide yourself, your family, relatives and friends with a supply of vitamins and minerals for the whole winter. Currants harvested for the winter will be a pleasant and healthy treat for children. And also for adults.