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These days we spend a lot of money on exotic superfoods, look for health in powders and buy expensive vitamin supplements. Yet one of the most interesting sources of valuable compounds can grow right outside your window. Currants are no longer just a fruit for a Sunday cake. Comparisons of varieties show that these small red and white berries contain plenty of vitamin C, antioxidants and natural colorants.

If you have always believed that the best currant is the one that yields the most kilograms of fruit, you may change your mind. The real value is not in quantity, but in what is inside every single berry.

The Myth of Yield: When Quality Beats Quantity

For decades, breeders focused on developing bushes that give the highest possible yields. For commercial farms this makes sense, but in a home garden different rules may apply. A good example is the old Latvian variety Vīksnes Sarkanās.

In comparison trials it fell behind on yield: while the modern variety Marmeladnica produced more than 3 kg per bush, Vīksnes Sarkanās gave only 1.17 kg. Does that make it a poor variety? Not at all. Analysis of the fruit showed that it is an exceptionally valuable variety in terms of its beneficial compounds. It suits growers who want high-quality fruit for their own family, not large quantities to sell.

The real value of currants is not in the size of the harvest, but in what is inside every single berry.

Anthocyanins and Natural Colorants: A Deep Red

The color of fruit is not just a feast for the eyes. The deep red color of currants is caused by anthocyanins – powerful antioxidants, that is, compounds that help protect cells from damage. And it is in this respect that the Latvian variety Vīksnes Sarkanās stands out.

Its berries are a very dark cherry red, which earned it the popular nickname “pomegranate”. Biochemical analysis showed 144.5 mg of anthocyanins per 100 g. That is almost four times more than in the variety Jonkheer van Tets and about nine times more than in Marmeladnica, which contains only 16.1 mg.

If you want your homemade jams, jellies and juices to have a rich color, Vīksnes Sarkanās is among the best choices.

Vitamin C: Immune Support Straight from the Bush

Currants have long been known as a source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). However, the content varies greatly between varieties.

Of the varieties compared, Vīksnes Sarkanās again has the highest content, at 78.8 mg per 100 g. It is followed by the mid-early variety Niva (71.9 mg/100 g) and the variety Asya (60.6 mg/100 g). White currants deserve a mention too: although they lack the red pigment, the variety Umka provides 54 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of translucent flesh.

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P-Active Substances: Rare Bioflavonoids

Have you heard of P-active substances? These are bioflavonoids (including rutin) that work together with vitamin C. They are associated with the protection of small blood vessels and also have anti-inflammatory effects. Currants are a good source of them, and some varieties contain exceptionally high amounts.

The highest content is found in the variety Niva – as much as 703.0 mg per 100 g. Close behind is Asya with 606.0 mg per 100 g. The white currant Bayana offers 350 mg. Also worth mentioning is the Siberian variety Krasnaya Andreychenko, which is frost-hardy and contains 550.9 mg of catechins (another group of powerful antioxidants).

Pectin: The Basis of a Perfect Jam

A good variety should be not only valuable but also practical to process. For jam or fruit spread to set more easily even without added thickeners, you need fruit with a higher pectin content – a natural substance responsible for gelling.

The highest pectin content is found in the variety Orlovskaya Zvezda – as much as 10.2%. Osipovskaya (8.3%) and Marmeladnica (7.7%) also have good gelling properties.

The Varieties in Numbers

An overview of all values from the analyses mentioned in the article. Where a value was not stated, it is marked as such.

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Values come from the comparative analyses mentioned in the article.

Three Varieties, Three Strengths

Conclusion

When choosing currants for your garden, it pays to ask not only how many buckets you will pick from a bush, but also what the fruit contains. Vīksnes Sarkanās stands out for color and anthocyanins, Niva for P-active substances and Orlovskaya Zvezda for pectin.

Choose a variety according to what you expect from the harvest, and enjoy fruit you have grown yourself.