Thanks for your posts as always, they make my day! In gardens, it’s kept mainly as an ornamental groundcover. Current Flowerings Cocktail… Gin, cocchi rosa, flowering currant cordial, magnolia & cherry blossom bitters. The berries that follow the flowers ripen to a dark purple and have a grey cast to their skin, Possible lookalikes Other currants, though these are also edible and their flowers are often small and green coloured. What does it look like? But it is also a time when the blooms on the earliest flowering shrubs, such as forsythia and flowering currant, are starting to fade. by James Wood. Shrub – Mix your flowering currant vinegar with your flowering currant syrup/cordial, to make a shrub. In my opinion, there’s no better activity than making cordial from flowers you’ve picked! You can dry the flowers and leaves for future use, though they do lose a fair bit of their fruitiness. Sorry, i’m not sure I can be much help here. Native American peoples, wild foragers, and sustainable gardeners have and continue to value this plant as food using the berries both fresh and dried. As a member of the same family of blackcurrant and redcurrants, Flowering Currant bears a strong structural resemblance to these. Ribes sanguineum Somerset White is a fabulous new variety with bushy, branching growth that bears many pendent clusters of attractive pure white flowers during April and May. Website by: Your email address will not be published. Flowering currant - ribes sanguineum - is originally from North America. Thank you , You have so much information about “flowering” currant plants…BUT, I have a lovely 12 yr old bush that has NEVER bloomed~~!!?? Flowering Currant Cordial Recipe. I’ve made flowering currant vodka (and also vinegar). It has palmately-lobed leaves with a sweet sage/rosemary-like smell when crushed. They are also easily accessible, being common in gardens, hedgerows and waste ground. Wild flower champagne infusing. 's provincial parks. Required fields are marked *. Leaves are 1-2.5 inches wide, alternate, petiolate, with 3 deep lobes and 2 shallow lobes (5 total). My neighbor and fellow gardener, Margaret has a white flowering Currant (Ribes) shrub near her front door. Liqueur – Infuse into vodka for no more than 1 week. A deciduous shrub, the flowering currant bush makes a good informal hedge. Tips on spring foraging: Don't venture to B.C. All Rights Reserved. They are closely related to the European Red Currant, commonly cultivated for their edible berries in Europe. 13th May 2020. words and imagery from @foraged.by.fern instagram. I discovered (thanks to an awesome foraging group on Facebook!) Plants are listed alphabetically by common name. Western North America. The taste ranges from bland to sweet, and the texture from mealy to juicy, depending on growing location and sub-species characteristics. Increase their natural sweetne… Foraging Flowering Currant Cordial. March 25, 2010. Add this to gin cocktails for fruity sourness! Many cultivars have been developed, with flowers ranging from white to dark red. They can also be sprinkled over savoury and sweet dishes. We live at 8500 ft altiture in the easter Sierra…are we too high?? Place just under two cups of blossoms and lemon rinds in largeish mason jar and pour over with vodka. There are many types of currant plants that common to BC that were eaten traditionally by many First Nations peoples. Ribes sanguineum glutinosum is native to canyons and north slopes in the coast ranges. Gather Victoria shares recipes to infuse the flowering currants in different mediums. Usually when I think of Spring flower cordials it is Elderflower that springs (!) The flowers are really tasty; I pick them off from the clusters and scatter them over a salad, they taste sweet and curranty. I think a gardener would be more use to you here, one from your region! Shrubs that flower in March are to be treasured, even if they are easy to grow, and the lovely thing about the flowering currant is that it is also easy to propagate. The Foraging Course Company, The Hall, Rugby Road, Wolston, Warwickshire, CV8 3FZ. What’s not to love!? These will mostly turn out a delightful pink colour if you use only the flowers. Flowering Currant hedging plants are a popular choice for those looking to create an attractive spring garden at their home. So I went ahead and tried it. long pendulous clusters in early spring. If you are in the “mmmm…delicious” camp, enjoy getting sticky nectar fingers as you pick them. Use as a food The flowers can be used to make a very interesting a beautifully flavoured cordial, sorbet, or syrup. As with blackcurrant, some people detect a cat pee smell from this shrub. I have not had much experience yet with alcohol foraged mixes. Its golden yellow flowers exude a … Golden Currant – Care, Growing, Watering, Flowering, Propagation read more » March 27, 2017 August 15, 2017 / themullberrysprite. Red flowering currant is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 13′ tall, but generally ranges from 5′-7′ tall, depending on growing conditions. This backs up information given on foraging courses led by The Foraging Course Company. Grossulariaceae (gooseberry) Also known as. Red flowering currant is adaptable to a range of soil and light conditions. April 6, 2020 Lorraine Counsell. Visiting Galloway for Galloway Wild Foods Events, Corona Virus and Galloway Wild Foods Events, See my recipe for elderflower champagne  here. to mind, but this year I have discovered a new edible flower! Family. You may want to rejuvenate the bush. A few metres from the front of the house we are lucky enough to have a beautiful flowering currant bush. This currant likes shade to part shade, moderate water … The berries of the Red-flowering Currant are a native food for both humans and wildlife. The weather hasn't stopped some edible flowers such as flowering currant and elderflower from blooming. Thanks, Sharon. Remove lower leaves, keeping only the topmost one or two pairs at the crest. Red flowering currant, blood currant, winter currant and pink-flowering currant. It is very easy to propagate flowering currant through cuttings at the end of winter. It’s an easy shrub to prune and I have seen it grown as a hedge (‘Pulborough Scarlet’ is especially good for … An ornamental shrub that has naturalised and can be found mostly in woodland and hedgerows, but also in more open areas Lobed palmate leaves with a sweet sage/rosemary-like smell when rubbed or crushed Dangling panicles of Flowering Currant I've been eating lots of flowers from fllowering currants this year (the pretty pink flowered currant bushes, the ones that look good but produce bland, pointless fruit). FLOWERING CURRANT CORDIAL. They manage to combine fruity, floral and herbaceous flavours, and work in lots of  sweet and savoury ways in both the kitchen and drinks cabinet. The edible … Description - what does it look like? Red Flowering Currant is an upright shrub that grows 5-10 feet tall. Uses: Scatter flowers on salads, pickle flowers, make a syrup or cordial, infuse vinegar, gin or vodka, dry them or freeze them for later. Step 1. You’ll doubtless be in the company of some early bees, seeking their share too, but these are prolific flowerers and there is plenty to grow around, including loads you won’t be able to reach in fully grown shrubs. Make sure your blossoms are fully submerged, if not add an extra splash of vodka or take the top few out. I think I’ve mentioned her yard in previous posts…anytime I wonder where my bees are foraging I have only to walk up the block to find them somewhere in her garden. Directions. This is done by selecting one third of the branches, divided evenly over the bush, and cutting these back to … Any help would be appreciated. Flowering currant Botanical Name. Ornamental forms are some of the earliest flowering spring shrubs and very easy to grow. Dark berries are produced in the fall, but do not taste good and are best left for birds to enjoy. I’ve tried mixing the currant vodka with soda water and it’s refreshing but needs something else. Red Flowering Currant Blossom Extract/Tincture. Flowering Currant takes the form of a deciduous shrub up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) tall. Dip the base of the cuttings in powdered rooting agents. This foraging guide is designed to help identify edible plants and their poisonous lookalikes growing in the UK. © 2021 Galloway Wild Foods. Flowering Currant is a popular plant and a common sight in British gardens, white flowered types like this magnificent variety are much more unusual. A native plant that Hummingbirds go crazy for. It can grow that wide too, but I have trained mine to grow as an upright column. Most popular uses for Flowering Currant hedging Flowering Currant Hedges make a great wildlife friendly habitat or informal feature. Flowering Currant hedge (Ribes sanguineum 'King Edward VII') description Ribes sanguineum 'King Edward VII' will grow in almost all soils in full sun to partial shade. Both the flowers and young leaves are packed with fruity flavours that we would expect to find in late summer and autumn – quite similar to the closely related blackcurrant (the leaves of which, incidentally, are also packed with flavour in spring). Your email address will not be published. Maybe the altitude? Pink Flowering currant is a five foot deciduous shrub with long showy pink flower clusters that cover the plant in January to March. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). DANDELION MARMALADE & FLOWERING CURRANT BUNS Day #18 of me home recipes This ones a follow up from one of my earlier recipes as I've seen so many of you have been making it! The blossoms and young leaves of flowering currant come right near the top of my early spring not-to-be-missed delicious list. Black, golden, wax, sticky, red swamp and even stink currant are a few of the varieties. Pink flowering currant … Continue reading "Red flowering currant" The Golden currant (Ribes aureum) is a flowering shrub that’s native to North America and grows best in areas abundant in groundwater like areas near creeks or bottom of canyons. Always stay safe when foraging. Learn how to safely forage for currants. Large pendulous pink and white flowers grow in 4-6 in. This is due to the presence of a number of thiol containing compounds, some of which are also present in cat pee. r/foraging: Info on finding, identifying, harvesting and cooking wild edible food. It has full sun. Stems lack thorns and have reddish-brown bark. No need to remove them from their stems unless you are looking for work/a michelin star. Depending on the condition of the plant, various pruning methods can be applied. Ribes sanguineum. Galloway Wild Foods has further uses for them. Ribes sanguineum, the flowering currant, redflower currant, red-flowering currant, or red currant is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to western United States and Canada (British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California), but widely cultivated and naturalized throughout temperate Europe and Australasia. Found in parks and gardens across the country, they are notable for their strong herbal scent and bright pink flowers. Where is it originally from? We water regularly. another term for omitted [sic] unresolving [sic] XREF [sic] to [sic] “red-flowering currant” (see flowering currant) EDIT : Since compiling notes for this proposal, Oxford Dictionaries has changed its on-screen format that actually shows garbage such as that in the preceding definition. Especially when it tastes as delicious as flowing currant cordial. Medium green leaves have a wrinkled surface marked by many veins and have heavily lobed margins. They are a relatively low maintenance option, blooming year after year with very little work required – although to really get the most out of your plants it is recommended that you cut back branches that have flowered in order to promote new growth. Flowering currant can be pruned after flowering in April or May. Maybe the variety? Collect the cuttings around March. The flower heads are dangling raceme that resemble bunches of grapes before the flowers open. Or mix it with honey to make an oxymel. If in doubt, leave it out! Ribes (Flowering Currant) A species of evergreen/deciduous flowering and fruiting shrubs. You can also use their small berries in summer and autumn, these are rather a poor prize – as if the plant has used up all of its deliciousness in spring! The upper surfaces are green and mostly smooth while the undersides are whitish and finely haired. ... Upcoming Foraging … Once open, the flowers are either red, pink or white and have a sweet sage/rosemary-like smell, but less strong than the leaves. The whole raceme will do fine. Strain. It was brought to the UK as an ornamental garden plant but has now escaped from the confines of our gardens, and can be seen growing quite happily in hedges and woodlands across the UK. Family: Grossulariaceae (gooseberry) Botanical Name: Ribes Common Names: flowering currant, red-flowered currant An ornamental shrub that has naturalised and can be found mostly in woodland and hedgerows, but also in more open areas, Lobed palmate leaves with a sweet sage/rosemary-like smell when rubbed or crushed, Dangling panicles of flowers (resembling a bunch of grapes before opening), Individual flowers can be red, pink or white and have five petals, Fragrance of flowers sweet sage/rosemary-like, but less strong than leaves, Flowers followed by berries that mature to a dark purple with a grey cast on their surface. Would you recommend a drink I could make from them? These online guides are a new feature, so are constantly expanding. The berries can be used to make jams, jellies, cordials, wine, syrup, fruit leather, and chutneys, but need more sugar than other currants, Use in herbal medicine Not used medicinally, If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner, Importance to other species Provides an important food source for pollinators, particularly bees. These plants grow wild here, but this specimen happens to grow in Rotary Park here on Salt Spring Island. Tough luck if you can’t get past this, but most people love blackcurrants, so no reason not to give these a go. It was the Flowering Currant, RIBES SANGUINEUM, a popular garden shrub in many parts of the world, but here growing wild, for its natural distribution is the coastal zone from central British Columbia to central California, so we're in the heart of its native land. Making flowering currant cordial is a a good way to start your foraging journey. 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Over with vodka a wrinkled surface marked by many First Nations peoples red flowering currant ( )! ( Ribes ) shrub near her front door foraging journey mason jar and over! Found flowering currant foraging parks and gardens across the country, they are closely related the. Are green and mostly smooth while the undersides are whitish and finely haired on Facebook! are..., keeping only the topmost one or two pairs at the end of.! Various pruning methods can be used to make an oxymel 8 feet ) tall in different mediums lobes and shallow... Yet with alcohol foraged mixes sure your blossoms are fully submerged, if not an... They make my day ornamental forms are some of the same family of blackcurrant and redcurrants, flowering through...

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