Content
Currant is one of the favorite berry crops among Russian gardeners. In home gardens, red, white and black varieties are grown. Subject to agrotechnical rules, you can grow a generous harvest of tasty, healthy berries. But it is not enough to grow a healthy bush, you need to know how to harvest red currants.
When to pick currants
Harvesting time depends on the variety and place of growth. In the southern regions, ripening occurs in the middle of summer, in areas with an unstable climate, harvesting begins in late summer and ends in early autumn.
Collecting black and red currants is necessary at full maturity. Since an unripe berry culture will not have useful properties, it cannot be frozen, dried and preserved for the winter. Indigestion and intestinal upset can occur if unripe specimens are consumed.
Definition of ripeness:
- Depending on the variety, the peel turns purple or bright red.
- The fruits are quickly separated from the stalk.
- The branch changes from green to brown.
- The taste of mature specimens is sweet and sour, the aroma is rich.
- When overripe, the crop begins to crumble from the bush.
Also, when harvesting, it must be remembered that old red currant bushes ripen a week later than young ones. The term directly depends on the climate, so cleaning is carried out at different times:
Place of growth | Black grade | Red varieties |
Siberia | Due to unfavorable climatic conditions, the crop ripens 45 days after the beginning of flowering. As a rule, this happens in early August. | In regions with an unstable climate, the berries acquire a deep red color in the first half of August. |
central region | In the Central Region, harvesting is carried out in the second half of July. If the summer is rainy and cold, the date is shifted to the end of July or the beginning of August. And if the weather is hot, the first ripe berries can be seen in early July. | The Central region has a very unstable climate; summers can be cold or warm. In comfortable conditions, the red currant bush ripens in mid-July. Early varieties ripen at the end of June. |
South | In the south, the currant bush begins to bear fruit early. The collection is carried out in mid or late June. It all depends on the variety and compliance with agricultural rules. | In the southern regions, where summer comes very early, red varieties begin to be removed from the bush in early June and finish in mid-July. |
Also, the ripening time depends on the varietal characteristics:
- early black and red varieties acquire technical ripeness in mid-June;
- mid-season - late June, early July;
- late - early or mid-August.
Currant collection methods
Removing red and black currants from the bush is done manually and mechanically. The harvester for collecting currants is used when grown on an industrial scale or if a large number of bushes grow on the site.
Devices for collecting currants from a bush
Harvesting black and red varieties is a laborious and time-consuming job, so gardeners resort to various devices to facilitate work.
The berry collector is the best helper in harvesting.The currant harvester is durable, lightweight and very handy. When working, he does not pluck the foliage and does not crush the berry. With a certain skill, the time is reduced by 3-4 times.
For quick collection of red currants, you can use a comb-harvester. He carefully removes the crop from the brush, without damaging the bush and without tearing the leaves.
Currant harvesting rules
The shelf life depends on compliance with the recommendations. Collection rules:
- You can not be late with the deadline, as overripe specimens crumble, crack and become soft.
- Cleaning is carried out in the morning or evening, in dry, not hot weather. If the harvest is carried out in rainy weather, then the crop will not be stored. When harvesting in hot weather, the fruits lose their taste, aroma and vitamins.
- Before harvesting red and black crops, it is necessary to prepare the container. It should be shallow, dry and clean. A tray or small box is suitable for this. The harvest is placed in a container in a thin layer so as not to crush the bottom layer. It is not recommended to sprinkle red currants often, as they have a thin peel, and they can crack and wrinkle.
- Black fruits are harvested individually with a stalk. Red - removed from the bush directly with a twig. Since black ripens unevenly, the collection is stretched in 2-3 doses.
- If unripe specimens are caught during the collection process, they can reach technical ripeness in the refrigerator in a few days. But useful and taste qualities will differ significantly from ripe ones.
- After harvesting, the harvest is sorted out, the red currant berries are removed from the branch, plant debris and spoiled specimens are removed. Then sprinkle on a paper towel in one layer to remove moisture.
Storage of berries
Fresh red and black fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, while they do not lose their taste and useful properties. When stored fresh, red currants are not washed, they are thoroughly dried, the berries are removed from the branch. Fresh shelf life is increased by placing the freshly harvested crop in an airtight container or glass jar.
You can also freeze red currants in plastic bags. The shelf life will be 360 days. Before putting it in the freezer, it is sorted out, thoroughly washed and dried.
Preservation for the winter is a sure way to preserve taste and nutrients. To preserve all the vitamins, you can make raw jam. To do this, grind the red berry and add sugar in a 1: 1 ratio. After the sugar dissolves, the jam is transferred to clean jars and stored.
You can also cook dried berry fruits. The crop is sorted out, washed and dried. Then they are laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 2-3 hours at 200-230 ° C. During the drying process, for better air circulation, the door should be ajar. The degree of readiness is checked by the berry, a properly dried product does not emit juice.
Conclusion
Harvesting red currants is a long and laborious process. But if the term and rules of collection are observed, the berry will enrich the body with the necessary vitamins, which are so lacking in winter. Red currants can be frozen, dried or prepared fortified compote and jam, which will appeal not only to children, but also to adults.
