Which black currant?

Choose by how you want to use the fruit, then compare flavour, relative picking season and the reported disease responses. These groups are starting points, not a ranking of performance here.

For fresh eating

For juice and preserves

Earlier picking

Later picking

Large berries

Reported disease resistance or tolerance

Choose this if

Uniform clusters for pressing, preserves and freezing.

A compact bush with large berries, ripening before Ben Lomond.

Large berries with a robust flavour for fresh eating and desserts.

An upright bush taller than Ben Sarek, with large flavourful berries.

Large sweet tart berries on a compact bush for a smaller space.

Firm skinned berries for juice and preserves after Ben Lomond.

A strong traditional black currant flavour in a midseason crop.

Sweet aromatic berries to extend the picking season.

Juicy tender skinned berries on a vigorous, spreading heritage bush.

Very large juicy berries on a vigorous bush.

Milder aromatic berries that ripen unevenly, giving several pickings.

A heritage choice for the middle of the currant season.

Large berries, with mildew susceptibility to weigh against other choices.

An assertive tart flavour for jam, or fresh if you enjoy a sharp currant.

Very large mild sweet berries for fresh eating, juice and baking.

A Long Ashton heritage currant for the middle of the season.

Dense fruit clusters on an English heritage currant with late flowering.

Robust tangy berries for fresh eating, juice, preserves and baking.

Long strings of berries for pressing, preserves and freezing on a compact bush.

An early choice with mildly sweet berries for fresh eating or drying.

Strong tart berries for juice, preserves and wine.

Sweet tart berries in long clusters that are easy to pick.

Long dense clusters with a later crop and reported disease resistance.

Mildly sweet berries for fresh eating, juice and preserves.

A heritage midseason choice with briskly acidic berries.

Comparatively sweet fully ripe berries for fresh eating.

Sweet juicy berries for fresh eating and preserves later than Ben Lomond.

Milder sweet berries for fresh or cooked use.

Aromatic sweet tart berries on a compact upright bush.

A dash means our sources did not give that detail.

PlantUseFruit and flavourRelative picking seasonReported disease response
Ben AlderJuice, preserves, freezingConcentrated juice—Tolerance to mildew and leaf spot
Ben Connan—Large berries, about 16 mmEarly to middle; about 4–5 days before Ben LomondGood disease resistance reported; diseases not specified
Ben LomondFresh, jam, jelly, dessertsRobust flavourMiddle to late—
Ben Nevis—Large, flavourful berriesMiddle to latePowdery mildew resistance reported
Ben Sarek—Sweet tartMidsummer—
Ben TirranJuice, preserves, processingMedium to large, firm skinnedLate; roughly 3–7 days after Ben Lomond in the breeder's account—
Black Reward—Strong traditional flavourMiddle of the season—
Black SeptemberFresh, jam, jellySweet and aromaticLater than many other black currants—
Blacksmith—Sweetness balanced with black currant acidityLate in historical descriptions—
Boskoop Giant—Very large and juicy——
Champion—Milder flavour; sweeter when fully ripeLate and uneven—
Cotswold Cross——Middle of the season—
Crusader—Large berries—Susceptible to powdery mildew
EagleJam; fresh for those who enjoy tart fruitTart and strongly flavoured——
Laxton's GiantFresh, juice, bakingVery large, mild and sweet——
Mendip Cross——Middle of the season—
Seabrook——Harvest not specified; late flowering is not a harvest date—
SlitsaFresh, juice, jam, jelly, bakingRobust and tangyMiddle to lateMildew and leaf spot resistance reported
StorklasJuice, preserves, freezingSweetness balanced with tartness—Mildew and leaf spot tolerance reported
SwedishFresh, dryingMildly sweet with slight tartnessOne of the earliest in the recorded description—
TahsisJuice, preserves, wineStrong and tartMidseasonGood disease resistance reported; diseases not specified
Tenah—Sweet and tartMidseasonReported at Polli, Estonia: fairly good resistance to mildew, leaf fall disease and gall mite
Tiben——Late to medium lateMildew and leaf spot resistance reported
TitaniaFresh, juice, jam, preservesMildly sweet—White pine blister rust and mildew resistance reported
Topsy—Briskly acidicHistorically described as midseason—
ViolaFreshComparatively sweet when fully ripe; weather and picking time matterReported midsummer—
WellingtonFresh, jam, jelly, wineSweet and juicyLater than Ben Lomond—
WilloughbyFresh, cookedMilder and sweeter than many black currants——
ÖjebynFresh, jam, jelly, juiceAromatic and sweet tartMiddle to late—

What we know and do not know

Harvest dates depend on the site and season. Early or late descriptions are relative, and late flowering is not a harvest date. Reported disease resistance is not immunity or a Manitoba trial result. Where a detail is missing, our sources did not give it.