Availability Dates: Late July - August

Picking Information:
We sell 1 quart and 4 quart baskets or you can bring your own baskets, bowls, or boxes. Please have your containers weighed before picking as we sell by the pound. Gooseberries are easy to pick because you can stand up and easily pick fruit from down by your knees to up by your shoulders. We keep the grass mowed between the rows to keep your feet out of the mud and to make walking easy. Gooseberries are picked as individual fruits and come off easily when they are ripe.

The berries can be picked from the plant individually or stripped off the stem leaves and separated later. Be careful when picking or wear gloves, as some varieties tend to have thorns along the branches.

Choose fully ripe berries if freezing for pie; berries a little under ripe for jelly making. Sort, remove stems and blossom ends, and wash. The dry pack is best for use in pies or preserves.

We have red, black, and pink currants! Currants can be picked in clusters. To harvest currants, twist the cluster off of the branch first, then strip the berries from the cluster. Do not attempt to pick the berries one-by-one. Like Gooseberries, they are easy to pick because you can stand up and easily pick fruit from down by your knees to up by your shoulders. We keep the grass mowed between the rows to keep your feet out of the mud and to make walking easy.

Select plump, fully ripe bright-red currants. Wash in cold water and remove stems. Pack into containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal, label, and freeze.

Above all have fun with your family on the farm and enjoy eating good fruit all year long.

Description:
Currant northern shrub of the family Saxifragaceae ( saxifrage family), of the same genus ( Ribes ) as the gooseberry bush. The tart berries of the currant may be black, white, or red; the white gooseberry becomes purple when mature. Both, especially the larger European species, are eaten fresh and also used in preserves, sauces, and pies. Native Americans used dried currants in making pemmican, but the "dried currant" of commerce is a raisin. Indian currant is a name for a West Coast species and for the coralberry of the honeysuckle family. Native species of gooseberry are sometimes cultivated in gardens. Currant is classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Saxifragaceae.

Source: Encyclopedia.com

Nutritional Facts:

1 cup Currants = 112 grams
Energy	kcal	63
Water	g	94.02
Fiber	g	4.8
Fat	g	0.22
Protein	g	1.57
Sugar	g	8.25
Calcium	mg	37
Potassium	mg	308
Vitamin A, IU	IU	47
Vitamin C	mg	45.9
Vitamin E	mg	0.11
Vitamin K	mcg	12.3

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database

Recipe Corner:

Find this recipe along with numerous others that use berries in our Fruits of the Farm cookbook. Click here for more cookbook information!

Gooseberry Jelly
4 1/2 lbs. fully ripe gooseberries	1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
1 c. water	7 c. sugar, measured into separate bowl
1 (1 3/4 oz.) box pectin (Sure-Jell)
Crush gooseberries thoroughly, one layer at a time, or grind them. Place in a saucepan; add water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Place three layers of damp cheesecloth or a jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently. Measure exactly 5 1/2 cups juice into 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Stir pectin into juice in saucepan. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads; cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

 

Red Currant Jelly
4 lbs. fully ripe red currants	1 pouch Certo
1 c. water	7 c. sugar
Thoroughly crush the currants. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Place in jelly bag and squeeze out juice. This should make 5 cups of juice; if not quite enough, add a little water. Put juice into a large (4 to 8 quart size) saucepan. Set opened Certo pouch in a cup or glass until ready to add to boiling fruit juice. Thoroughly mix sugar into juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. At once, stir in Certo. Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that can't be stirred down) and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off foam with metal spoon and pour quickly into sterilized glasses, leaving 1/2 inch space at top. Wipe any spills. Cover with 1/8 inch hot paraffin; 1 thin layer makes the best seal. Store in a cool dry place. Yields: about 7 1/4 cups.