Cassis Jam [General]
2013 Aug 3
I don't know anything about black currants being a superfood but do know I like black currant jam (and Ribena). I find that it is getting harder to find the jam these days. I used to love the Danish Orchards variety as it has a less-jelled, more runny texture than E. D. Smith's black currant jam. It's just great on homemade oat scones with or without some yogurt.
Good luck growing them from seeds Francis - I never heard of anyone doing that but it should work. We used to grow raspberries, black raspberries, red currants and gooseberries in our garden but we started all of them from canes with roots from Gramma's garden, friends or nurseries.
I cut this info - Ben Alder and Ben Sarek (both are varieties of black currants) are available through the Ontario Ribes Plant Propagation Program. For names and addresses of propagators growing under this program, contact your nearest OMAF Fruit Specialist - from this good source of growing info: www.omafra.gov.on.ca
Good luck growing them from seeds Francis - I never heard of anyone doing that but it should work. We used to grow raspberries, black raspberries, red currants and gooseberries in our garden but we started all of them from canes with roots from Gramma's garden, friends or nurseries.
I cut this info - Ben Alder and Ben Sarek (both are varieties of black currants) are available through the Ontario Ribes Plant Propagation Program. For names and addresses of propagators growing under this program, contact your nearest OMAF Fruit Specialist - from this good source of growing info: www.omafra.gov.on.ca
2013 Aug 3
Francis: I like using cassis/cassis puree for pastry, making cassis mousse cake, cassis macaron etc! But it is difficult to find it here. I wish you good luck! I also like Crème de cassis (cassis liqueur) and I use it for pastry quite often.
I have huge raspberry bush in my yard, but the berries are not sweet, they are very sour:(
By the way,how's your natto making these days?
I have huge raspberry bush in my yard, but the berries are not sweet, they are very sour:(
By the way,how's your natto making these days?
2013 Aug 4
@Aisu, still making and eating natto. I make big batches in a pressure cooker and freeze it in ziplock bags. I had someone from Japan try it too, and she pronounced it excellent :-).
@Zym, humm if I could get some cuttings, about the size and thickness of a pencil, that would be great. This is how they propagate them in France, rather than from seed. Apparently is only second year growth that bears fruit heavily, so you have to cut the old stems back aggressively anyway for good yields.
@collision, I the cassis jam on crepes and on bagettes. I didn't try ice cream but it sounds like a plan :-)
@Zym, humm if I could get some cuttings, about the size and thickness of a pencil, that would be great. This is how they propagate them in France, rather than from seed. Apparently is only second year growth that bears fruit heavily, so you have to cut the old stems back aggressively anyway for good yields.
@collision, I the cassis jam on crepes and on bagettes. I didn't try ice cream but it sounds like a plan :-)
2013 Aug 5
I'm throwing Zym under the bus on this one, Francis, but I'm the garden person at our house. ;) Ours have been reproducing through layering. I can see if we've anything going out there (the layering is frequently accidental! ;)), or will happily give you some branches. :)
This time of year, though, you will frequently find the plants on clearance at the various garden centres. That's where we picked up our fruit bushes 12 years ago. We also have red current and gooseberry. :)
This time of year, though, you will frequently find the plants on clearance at the various garden centres. That's where we picked up our fruit bushes 12 years ago. We also have red current and gooseberry. :)
2013 Aug 6
kk. I'll check out the garden centers too then. But I wonder if it's all the same species blackcurrants, or if there are varieties. I also read it's the first year's growth from last season that fuits, so you have to pune it aggressively. If you have any tips for me for getting fruit, I'd appreciate it.
2013 Aug 6
We've never done any pruning and there was always lots of fruit. The only problem we have is that they are getting squeezed out and probably not getting the sun they need to bear even more fruit.
As for different species - I'm better there are different ones. I don't know exactly what one we have.
As for different species - I'm better there are different ones. I don't know exactly what one we have.
2013 Aug 6
A lot of these fruit better with careful pruning, but that's not the sort of gardener I am! ;) Our bush sprawls and I love it for that. It fruits on last year's new growth (same as raspberries) and pruning would make it a more compact plant, but it's in a spot where I don't really have to worry about its size.
If you do prune it, do it the same as raspberries and do it in the fall, removing the branches that had the fruit on it this year.
If you do prune it, do it the same as raspberries and do it in the fall, removing the branches that had the fruit on it this year.
2013 Aug 6
Francis, if you read my reply and checked the link I posted above you would see that there are different varieties and they have different characteristics which might interest you wrt disease resistance, juice quality, etc. There may be newer varieties as that info was last updated 15 years ago I think. They, like the other Ribes, spread by sprouting new plants from root nodes, so those can be dug up easily in the spring and transplanted. We pruned old growth in the spring - it is easy to tell the new from the old so all the old growth is removed every spring simply by pruning the old stems at their base.
2013 Aug 6
Refashionista....if you have more suckers available pls do let me know.
Cassis is by far some of the best jam. There is/was an very nice lady down the road from me who grew them and made jam that was stellar. She just moved this spring and heck I should go raid her yard for remnant suckers.
Have always asked her to save me some fresh berries for a nice cassis mead but missed out.
Cassis is by far some of the best jam. There is/was an very nice lady down the road from me who grew them and made jam that was stellar. She just moved this spring and heck I should go raid her yard for remnant suckers.
Have always asked her to save me some fresh berries for a nice cassis mead but missed out.
2013 Aug 6
@Andy, yes I did read it, but it didn't click, and I'll definitely check those links. I guess the best thing is for me to taste some berries and see if they compare to the ones I had in France, or just find ones I like, and try to get cuttings from those. Even if I could get seeds from European ones, they many not do well growing here.
2013 Aug 7
I love cassis from my time in france. I love the cassis jam from either Bonne Mamam or the one with the long thin bottles. Crème de cassis and white wine makes a refreshing drink in the summer.
Refashionista, if you have some cuttings available in the fall, I would be interested too.
In exchange if anyone want goji berry (a recognized superfood) cuttings, I can get some for you in Sept or early spring next year.
Refashionista, if you have some cuttings available in the fall, I would be interested too.
In exchange if anyone want goji berry (a recognized superfood) cuttings, I can get some for you in Sept or early spring next year.
2013 Aug 8
I'm still wondering if cassis in France is a species of blackcurrant, or cassis are blackcurrants with many species of cassis?
Goji is great. I tried growing it once directly from the dried berries. First I tried soaking them and extracting the seeds. That failed.
But if you plant the whole berry in a bit of earth in a recycled egg carton tray, virtually every one germinated after a few weeks.
I've tried fresh goji and they are a bit sour, vs the dried form which is sweet. Perhaps I took it too early.
They definitely grow outdoors in Ottawa though. Many families in Chinatown have some in their gardens.
Goji is great. I tried growing it once directly from the dried berries. First I tried soaking them and extracting the seeds. That failed.
But if you plant the whole berry in a bit of earth in a recycled egg carton tray, virtually every one germinated after a few weeks.
I've tried fresh goji and they are a bit sour, vs the dried form which is sweet. Perhaps I took it too early.
They definitely grow outdoors in Ottawa though. Many families in Chinatown have some in their gardens.
2013 Aug 9
Cassis I think like all berries have different breeds/species.
My mom got a goji cutting from a friend a few years ago and they have multiplied. She has a great patch near the front of the house and now have got some offshoots growing in half of a square foot garden box. Goji grow outside of Chinatown too lol. She gave some berries for a few years to her optometrist who is French Canadian and her doctor loved it so much that this year my mom gave her 3 small plant.
You have to pick them when they are really red and plump, not just somewhat red. Ripe gojis are not that sweet but should not be sour.
My mom got a goji cutting from a friend a few years ago and they have multiplied. She has a great patch near the front of the house and now have got some offshoots growing in half of a square foot garden box. Goji grow outside of Chinatown too lol. She gave some berries for a few years to her optometrist who is French Canadian and her doctor loved it so much that this year my mom gave her 3 small plant.
You have to pick them when they are really red and plump, not just somewhat red. Ripe gojis are not that sweet but should not be sour.
2013 Aug 9
Cassis I think like all berries have different breeds/species.
My mom got a goji cutting from a friend a few years ago and they have multiplied. She has a great patch near the front of the house and now have got some offshoots growing in half of a square foot garden box. Goji grow outside of Chinatown too lol. She gave some berries for a few years to her optometrist who is French Canadian and her doctor loved it so much that this year my mom gave her 3 small plant.
You have to pick them when they are really red and plump, not just somewhat red. Ripe gojis are not that sweet but should not be sour.
My mom got a goji cutting from a friend a few years ago and they have multiplied. She has a great patch near the front of the house and now have got some offshoots growing in half of a square foot garden box. Goji grow outside of Chinatown too lol. She gave some berries for a few years to her optometrist who is French Canadian and her doctor loved it so much that this year my mom gave her 3 small plant.
You have to pick them when they are really red and plump, not just somewhat red. Ripe gojis are not that sweet but should not be sour.
2014 May 21
My parents bought a house a year and a half ago (in Richmond ON) and I was delighted to find that they had a couple of red currant bushes in their backyard. They make absolutely delightful jelly and because they contain so much natural pectin, you don't even need to add any. I just used the currants (cassis), sugar and a bit of water.
I love it with turkey and it is absolutely fantastic with cheese.
I love it with turkey and it is absolutely fantastic with cheese.
Francis
I'm going to try and grow some. It's supposed to be hardy to zone 3 and we are zone 5a in Ottawa.
I ordered seeds from ebay.
Info on it as a superfood here: www.bodybuilding.com