Black currant – black currant (harvesting and storage)

Name: Black currant – black currant (harvesting and storage)

Black currant – Ribes nigrum L. The Ukrainian name is black currant, popular names are black porch, lisov porch. 

Saxifrage family – Saxifragaceae.

For medicinal purposes, berries and leaves are used.

It occurs in the Carpathians, Polissya and in the northern regions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. It grows in shady moist forests, especially alder, and thickets of shrubs, along the banks of streams and rivers. The plant is widely grown in cultivation.

Stocks of raw materials for wild-growing currants are small. Its industrial preparations are impractical, since it does not bear fruit well. The fruits are harvested mainly from cultivated currants.

Ripe fruits are harvested (July-August), cutting them off in the morning after the dew has dried or in the evening and putting them in small baskets.

Dry in ovens or dryers at a temperature of 60-65 °. Previously, the berries can be dried for several days in the open air, laying out a thin layer (2-3 cm) on the grates. The yield of dry raw materials is 18-20%.

According to OST NKVT 5527/10, the raw material consists of separate wrinkled fruits of black color with a red-brown tint, 0.4–1 cm in diameter, with cone-shaped remnants of the calyx at the top. The smell is weak, peculiar fragrant. The taste is sour, slightly tart. Humidity is not higher than 18%. In raw materials, no more than (percent) is allowed: greenish fruits – 5, overdried – 3, other parts of the currant (stalks, etc.) – 1, organic impurities – 1, mineral – 0.5.

Dry berries are packed in bags weighing 50-60 kg. Store in dry, well-ventilated areas. Storage period up to 2 years.

The leaves are harvested in summer (June-July). It is necessary to collect only those that are intact, tearing them off with your hands. They are dried in attics under an iron roof or under sheds with good ventilation, laying out a thin layer (2-3 cm) on paper or cloth. The yield of dry raw materials is 34-37%.

The raw material consists of individual leaves with petioles, green or gray-green, three- or five-lobed. The smell is specific, aggravated by rubbing.

OST NKVT 5227-10 provides: for leaves, the moisture content is not more than 14%; brown and blackened leaves should be no more than 4%; other parts of the currant no more than 3; crushed leaves no more than 5; organic impurities (parts of other plants) and mineral not more than 1%.

Dry leaves are packed in bags or bales of the same weight. Store in a dry, well-ventilated area. The retention period has not been set.

Fruits contain pectin and tannins, essential oil, vitamins C and P, phosphoric and organic acids, sugar. They are used as a diuretic, diaphoretic and vitamin remedy in infusions; are also part of the vitamin collection.

From fresh berries, a syrup is used to correct the taste of medicines. They are widely used in the food industry. Leaves contain vitamin C, essential oil, phytoncides. They are used as a vitamin remedy in the form of an infusion.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *