Ribes rubrum Ribest 'Blanchette'

The 'Blanchette' Cluster Currant is a recent selection chosen for its high fruit yield, sweet taste, and subtly balanced sugar-acid ratio. The incredibly juicy and tasty fruits ripen from the end of June, allowing for harvesting until the end of July. Their pleasant taste makes them an excellent ingredient for salads, enhancing the taste of savoury dishes or enhancing desserts. With vigorous and healthy growth, this variety is resistant to powdery mildew and does not experience premature leaf drop. Yields are regular and high. Its bushy and erect habit, but compact enough, reaches a height of 1.50 metres (5 feet), making it well-suited for all gardens, including container cultivation. In April, it is covered with greenish, rather insignificant flowers that serve as a food source for bees and other insects. A sunny to partially shaded exposure and well-drained, nutrient-rich soil are optimal conditions for a high-yield currant harvest. The bush requires careful pruning to optimise fruit production and size.

The Cluster Currant, Latin Ribes rubrum, is sometimes called Gadelle or Raisinet. It belongs to the Grossulariaceae family, like the Gooseberry, from which it distinguishes itself by its fruits gathered in clusters. Its origins in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and the Andes Mountains give the Currant very good cold resistance. Cultivated for a long time, it was introduced in the Middle Ages. Historically, in the 14th century, it was mainly used as a medicinal plant, with apothecaries and healers attributing it to powerful virtues (febrifuge, digestive, laxative, diuretic, and depurative). In the 15th and 16th centuries, the currant appeared in gardens. Then, in the 18th century, the Danes and the Dutch intensified currant cultivation and spread it worldwide.

The Ribes rubrum Ribest 'Blanchette'  is a recent Swiss variety from the Ribest range. This range comprises currant varieties selected for their high yields, fleshy fruits with a high sugar content, on vigorous and disease-resistant plants. It forms a bushy, non-thorny shrub with a tufted habit of slightly stiff, sparsely branched branches, whose wood is soft and has abundant pith. This very hardy bush reaches a height of 1.50 metres (5 feet) with a spread of 1.20 metres (4 feet). The foliage is deciduous, composed of palmate, lobed, and aromatic leaves, medium green and fragrant. Flowering occurs in April in clusters of small, inconspicuous greenish-to-brownish flowers intensely visited by bees. Fruiting mainly occurs on one- and two-year-old branches. Mid-early harvest starts from late June to the end of July. It produces a high quantity of compact clusters composed of numerous round and translucent berries. At maturity, the currants are a light, bright yellow, filled with juicy, fruity, sweet, and slightly acidic flesh, containing tiny seeds.

The Blanchette Cluster Currant is self-fertile, so it does not need a companion to produce fruit, but the presence of another variety nearby will increase production. Harvesting occurs as the fruits ripen and is facilitated by the length of the clusters. A currant bush produces about 3 to 5 kg of fruit per plant, depending on the age and growing conditions. All currant varieties are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, minerals, trace elements, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, making them real assets for health. Moreover, they are among the least energetic fruits (50 kcal per 100 g). Rich in nutrients, they are delicious to enjoy fresh, and for added indulgence, they can be sprinkled with a little crystallised sugar. Excellent in jellies or jams, they can also be used to garnish pies and make cakes. They are perfect for making sorbets or ice creams, accompanying red meats, or as a garnish for salads.

In the summer, this currant bush, with its long pendant clusters resembling a string of pearls, will bring pleasure and enchantment to the garden. You can associate it with Blackcurrants, Raspberries, or other varieties of small fruits to create a delicious hedge, which it will strengthen with its multiple culinary attributes. When planting currants, it is vital to alternate species and varieties where possible. This reduces disease risk and promotes pollination, even if the variety is self-fertile. It can be grown in a pot, but you should choose a container with a height of at least 40 cm (16in) and ensure regular watering with non-limestone water.