Growing Beautiful Pink Currants
Have you ever heard of pink currants? I actually didn't know about them until a few years ago. Now, it's one of my favorite berries in the garden. This variety is called Pink Champagne!
You've probably heard of black and red currants. But have you ever seen pink ones before? I saw these lovely light pink and almost see-through berries in a friend's garden and I haven't been able to get them out of my mind ever since! Pink is my favorite color, and I especially like it in the garden. It just looks so nice against the green leaves, the deep red color of our house and the natural wood details around my garden. For me, the thought of a pink currant bush is nothing short of irresistible. So of course, I had to get cuttings from my friend. Now a few years later, I can harvest almost a gallon of these lovely pink currants!
Read more: My Top 7 Favorite Vegetables and Berries
This particular variety is called Pink Champagne and I noticed that plenty of online stores have it in stock. You buy it in a pot and then plant it outside where it gets to grow larger. Well, as large as this currant gets. I've heard that the pink varieties aren't as large as other black and red ones. The Pink Champagne is supposed to be able to grow here in zone 3 where I live, but it might not make it in areas with even harsher winters.
The currants thrive in sunnier areas, and I think that the berries taste better when grown in sunny spots too. Blackcurrants are fine with a shady location, but the flavor gets better with a little more sun.
More about berries: How to grow honeyberries
I just harvested a batch of these beautiful pink berries, simply by pinching the little stems off and then cleaning the berries later. This is the fastest way to do it. I usually freeze the berries as they are, so I don't make jam or anything like that. The reason why is because we eat them on top of our pancakes in winter with a pinch of sugar. They taste best slightly thawed and they look like pink little jewels on top of the whipped cream on my pancakes. Delicious!
Tips on growing pink currants:
- plant the currants in a sunny spot
- you can use any type of soil
- remove any dry old twigs now and then
- if you prune, do it on ground level
Read more: Homemade blackcurrant juice
I like variety and enjoy being able to pick and choose what I want to eat. That's why I not only grow pink currants in my garden, but black, red and green ones too!
/Sara Bäckmo