It's Currant Picking Time

I planted a Black Currant bush three years ago and it is amazing how well it is doing.

The bush is about 6 feet wide and 5 feet tall and covered in dark purple berries. Picking them can be a chore. Sometimes I can pull the whole string of berries off, but other times the individual berries come off in my hand and I have to be careful not to drop them. That's annoying! Having a bucket underneath is a good idea, too.

Once I get them all picked off the bush, I pull the berries from the stems and wash them with cold water, then place them all on papers towels to dry. I get rid of any small red or green berries that might have ended up in the bowl.

Look how nice and plump they are!  This years crop is going immediately into the freezer so I can figure out what I am going to make with them.  I measure them out, two cups in each bag, so I remember how much was harvested. Almost 13 cups this season!