Pink Champagne Currants

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This year, our Pink Champagne Currant grew many new branches and produced a good amount of berries. It doesn’t seem to have any pests and the birds don’t go for the berries like they do for strawberries and raspberries.  It’s a beautiful bush and I hope to make pink currant jelly. From what I have learned by reading online:

The Champagne or Pink Champagne variety is a very old cultivar listed in the catalogue of William Prince’s Long Island, New York nursery since the early eighteenth century. Pink Champagne currant is a vigorous upright bush with a beautiful pale red fruit of high quality and delectable flavor.

I enjoy the look of the plant – it has small leaves that hang over the small flowers and develop into green berries.

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They ripen over a few weeks into these beautiful translucent pink berries that are tart and sweet.

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I picked lots tonight and have more to pick tomorrow!IMG_3454

I am studying now to find out the medicinal or other uses for the currant and so far I have found that the leaves can be dried and used for tea and the berries are high in anti-oxidants. I need to do more research and get some of those leaves and try the tea  =)