Black currant
| Blackcurrant | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Grossulariaceae |
| Genus: | Ribes |
| Species: | R. nigrum |
| Binomial name | |
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Ribes nigrum L. |
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| Synonyms | |
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List
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| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 264 kJ (63 kcal) |
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15.4 g
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0.4 g
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1.4 g
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| Vitamins | |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(4%)
0.05 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(4%)
0.05 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(2%)
0.3 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) |
(8%)
0.398 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(5%)
0.066 mg |
| Vitamin C |
(218%)
181 mg |
| Vitamin E |
(7%)
1 mg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(6%)
55 mg |
| Iron |
(12%)
1.54 mg |
| Magnesium |
(7%)
24 mg |
| Manganese |
(12%)
0.256 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(8%)
59 mg |
| Potassium |
(7%)
322 mg |
| Sodium |
(0%)
2 mg |
| Zinc |
(3%)
0.27 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| Water | 82 g |
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| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
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The blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is a woody shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its piquant berries. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia where it prefers damp fertile soils and is widely cultivated both commercially and domestically. It is winter hardy but cold weather at flowering time during the spring reduces the size of the crop. Bunches of small, glossy black fruit develop along the stems in the summer and can be harvested by hand or by machine. The raw fruit is particularly rich in vitamin C and polyphenol . Blackcurrants can be eaten raw but are usually cooked in a variety of sweet or savoury dishes. They are used to make jams, jellies and syrups and are grown commercially for the juice market. The fruit is also used in the preparation of alcoholic beverages and both fruit and foliage have uses in traditional medicine and the preparation of dyes.
As a crop, the blackcurrant suffers from several pests and diseases. The most serious disease is reversion, caused by a virus transmitted by the blackcurrant gall mite. Another is white pine blister rust which alternates between two unrelated hosts, one in the genus Ribes (blackcurrant included) and the other a white pine. This fungus caused damage to forests when the fruit was first introduced into North America, where the native white pines have no genetic resistance to the disease. As a result, the blackcurrant has for most of the 20th century been subject to restrictions in parts of the United States as a disease vector. The effectiveness of these restrictions is questionable, since other Ribes species also host the disease and are native to North America.
Breeding is being undertaken in Europe and New Zealand to produce fruit with better eating qualities and bushes with greater hardiness and disease resistance.
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Wikipedia