Vt. Farmer Promotes Currant Farming.
Copyright 2002: The Associated Press.
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. (AP) -- It's small and tart, with a taste
and appearance something like a cranberry. But while it's
wildly popular in Europe, the currant is mostly
unappreciated in the United States.
Cherry Hill Farm, with its 6,000 currant bushes, is one of
the only significant sources of the fruit in the region.
Peter Hingston said the currant is among the most popular
fruits in his native England. But the berry has never
experienced that kind of popularity here -- its tartness
isn't exactly in high demand.
Still Hingston believes there is a place for the currant in
American cuisine. Although he doesn't believe the currant
will be a sensation anytime soon, he hopes the demand will
continue to increase.
"Vermont has got this wonderful processing industry in the
dairy line, with cheeses and yogurts and ice creams,"
Hingston said. "It would be wonderful to latch on to that."
Like cranberries, currants are often used in a mix of
flavors. Even fans of the fruit typically don't eat them in
their natural state. Currants are used to make jams and
jellies, and are an ingredient in fruit drinks and sodas.
There's even a black currant liqueur, which is popular in
Canada.
In Europe, where they are among the most popular fruits,
currants can be found in sweets like cheesecakes, muffins
and ice creams. Many of the people who stop at Cherry Hill
to pick currants for jams and other recipes are
transplanted Europeans now living in New Hampshire and
Vermont.