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Are these Blackcurrants ready to eat please? How do I know?

davielovesgravydavielovesgravy Posts: 76
in Fruit & veg
Hi all, this is the first year we have actually had some berries on our Blackcurrant bush, we just have no idea when they are ready to pick.  The berries on the pics have been a nice deep purple for a couple of weeks but I just don’t know how I tell if they are ready to pick to freeze them and to make jam or wine with.  

Please help!  Thanks in advance.

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Taste one😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Even when fully ripe they're very, very acidic.
    I check that they are completely black (as yours are)
    and when picking them, the ripe ones come off easily and don't leave a green tail on the fruit (which yours don't have)
    So I'd say yes they are.
    I've already had 2 blackcurrant plate pies from mine, all to myself - absolutely delicious

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    They look ready to me.
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    I should think so,Ive just made a Redcurrant Pie with some I was given,and they ripen at the same time......mmmm delicious!
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    It depends on the variety when they ripen. Mine are usually ripe by mid July. At the moment they are green.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    Taste one, if it is soft and not horribly sour then it's ripe. mine actually get sweet if left long enough, but I prefer them a bit under ripe as that means the jam is not so sweet when done. (mine are all very green)
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