The most popular and traditional berries in Slovakia are currants and gooseberries. These delicious and vitamin-filled fruits can be grown in the garden yearly. Still, you can also get them in supermarkets and markets.
You can grow the fruit bushes there if you have a larger sunny, warmer balcony or terrace, for example, in large pots. The reward for your care will be at least a basket of refreshing fruits. Moreover, home-grown currants and gooseberries taste incomparable to those you buy in the store.
Health Benefits
Smaller currant berries and more giant gooseberries are literally loaded with plenty of antioxidants and other natural nutrients. For example, black currants with a typical flavor and aroma are an extremely rich source of vitamin C, vitamins P, A, vitamins B3, B5, and E. 40 currant berries can cover the daily serving of vitamin C. Black currants are also rich in iron, manganese, calcium, potassium, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus, zinc, flavonoids, pectins, vegetable colorants carotenoids, etc. Regular consumption of black currants provides many health benefits. Similarly rich in nutrients are red currants, which have a characteristic acidic and refreshing taste and a higher vitamin A and manganese content. Fresh fruits taste best, but dried fruits are also healthy.
They are worth trying. Dried black currants are delicious. They can also be frozen or cooked. Yellowish or burgundy-colored gooseberries are bursting with vitamins and minerals too. They contain a lot of vitamin C and various types of vitamins B – folic acid, vitamin E, and A, from minerals, especially silicon, iron, copper, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, selenium, and manganese. Regularly consuming gooseberries boost the immune and vascular system, sight, brain, digestion, skin, etc. Did you know that in addition to fruits, currant leaves, for example, also have healing effects? You can try to dry them and prepare tea. However, the most attractive is the consumption of the berries.
Ordinary and Unusual Uses
Currants and gooseberries are best fresh because they will last for a maximum of 3 days when stored in the refrigerator. However, there are many ways to process these fruits and preserve their taste even for a longer time when they are usually off the shelves. Fruits can be added to salads and used to prepare summer pies and desserts for decorating puddings. They can be served with cottage cheese, ice cream, fresh cheese, or yogurt and cereals. Current or gooseberry jam, marmalade, compote, jelly, juice obtained from fresh fruits, or currant liqueur are delicious. You can also try currant topping for desserts, sorbet, or black or red currant sauce, which you can then serve, for example, with turkey or rabbit meat.
Gooseberry sauce is tasty too. It is worth trying it with grilled fish or, for instance, with traditional fried cheese. An exciting option may also be gooseberry jelly or caramelized gooseberry fruits. For example, they can also be an unconventional side dish to meat.
Similarly to currants, you can prepare a delicious gooseberry sauce and use it with meat specialties. When dried, leaves from gooseberries from your garden can be used to prepare a healthy tea.
Text: Daniel Košťál, photo: Pexels, pixabay
