Blackcurrant: what tradition does with its berries and leaves

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Blackcurrant is the small, almost black berry with the musky scent and the sharp bite — and a shrub whose leaves have been used in the kitchen and the stillroom for centuries. This page sets out what the plant actually contains, what herbalists and naturopaths have long credited it with, and how to make an infusion, a syrup or a macerated wine at home.

What it is credited with

• The leaf as a diuretic. Traditional European herbalism uses blackcurrant leaf infusion to encourage the flow of urine and the elimination of uric acid.
• Stiff, aching joints. In traditional herbalism, leaf infusions were taken as a long course for rheumatic aches and joint stiffness — this is the plant’s oldest reputation in the old herbals.
• Tired, stressful spells. Naturopathy credits the leaf with helping the body cope with demanding periods, and classes it among the gently supportive, restorative plants.
• Mouth and throat. A cooled leaf infusion, or diluted blackcurrant syrup, has a long-standing folk reputation as a gargle when the throat feels raw or the mouth is sore.
• A winter restorative. Blackcurrant juice and syrup are traditionally drunk when a cold is doing the rounds, valued in home practice as invigorating and comforting.
• Insect stings. Country practice, still alive in many gardens, is to crumple a fresh leaf and dab the juice on the spot where a wasp or bumblebee has caught you.
• Antioxidant content. The berries are genuinely rich in anthocyanins and vitamin C — that part is simple composition, not claim.

How to use it

Leaf infusion

• Use a small handful of dried leaves (or a double handful of fresh) per quart/litre of water just off the boil.
• Cover and steep 10 minutes, then strain. Covering matters: the aromatic oils escape with the steam.
• Drink up to three mugs a day, between meals. In herbal tradition this is taken as a course over several weeks rather than a one-off cup.
• Taste: green, slightly resinous, more like a garden than a fruit. A slice of lemon or a spoonful of blackcurrant syrup rounds it off.

Gargle

• Make the infusion as above, let it cool to lukewarm, strain well.
• Gargle a mouthful at a time, two or three times a day, and spit it out.
• Diluted blackcurrant syrup in warm water does the same job and tastes better.

Juice, syrup and jelly

• Crush the ripe berries, strain through muslin, and you have juice — thick, tart, staining everything it touches.
• For syrup, heat the juice with sugar until it thickens slightly, then bottle. Dilute a spoonful in still or sparkling water.
• Jelly sets readily thanks to the fruit’s own pectin. Keep it for toast, or stir a spoonful into a pan sauce.

Blackcurrant wine (macerate)

• Macerate 1 lb (500 g) of berries for three days in 1 quart (1 litre) of red wine.
• Strain, then sweeten to taste with sugar syrup. Bottle and keep cool.
• Traditionally served as a small glass before a meal, as an aperitif. It contains alcohol — see the cautions.

Blackcurrant cream (cassis liqueur)

• In a wide-necked bottle, pile alternate layers of berries and caster sugar. No water at all.
• Close it and leave to macerate for several months, topping up with fruit and sugar as the fruit settles.
• Filter through muslin. The result is a dark, intensely flavoured liqueur.

Fresh leaf, externally

• Pick a young leaf, crumple it hard between your fingers until it releases juice.
• Dab the juice on the sting or bite. Repeat with a fresh leaf if needed.

In the kitchen

• Jam, coulis, cakes, macaroons, sorbet — blackcurrant is at home in anything sweet.
• It also belongs with rich meat: a blackcurrant reduction with duck breast is a classic pairing.
• Young leaves can be steeped in a sugar syrup to perfume fruit salads and granitas.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: the berries are food and drink, the leaves are the herbalist’s part — a covered 10-minute infusion, up to three mugs a day between meals.

Do I use the leaves or the berries?

Both, but for different things. The berries go into juice, syrup, jelly, jam, macerated wine and liqueur, and are the part loaded with vitamin C and anthocyanins. The leaves are what herbalism uses as an infusion, for their traditional diuretic reputation and the old courses taken for aching joints.

When should I pick blackcurrant leaves?

From late spring to midsummer, choosing young, clean, undamaged leaves. Dry them in a single layer in the shade with air moving around them, then store them airtight and out of the light. If a dried leaf no longer smells aromatic when you rub it, it has lost its essential oil.

What does the leaf infusion taste like?

Green and slightly resinous, with a faint bitterness — nothing like the fruit. Most people find it easier with a slice of lemon or a spoonful of blackcurrant syrup stirred in. Keep it covered while it steeps, or the aromatics go up with the steam.

Can I drink it every day for months?

Herbal tradition takes leaf infusions in courses with breaks rather than endlessly. Because the leaf has a traditional diuretic use, check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you take diuretics, blood pressure medicines, lithium or blood-thinning drugs, and avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Does crushing a leaf on a wasp sting really help?

It is a long-standing country habit: crumple a young leaf and dab the juice on the spot. It is a comfort measure, nothing more. Any sting that brings swelling of the face or mouth, breathing trouble or faintness needs emergency medical help immediately.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.