Very few like them off the bush. You have to like sour and tart, as they are very much that way. Black currants are a little different but an acquired taste. If you grew up with them,. Same with with many berries. Like elderberries too.
I myself do like them raw, but I'm an exception and I grew up eating things like raw rhubarb. If you like raw rhubarb you'll love red currents. Some gooseberries are not bad.
Looking at your zone, what about honeyberries? They are not as tart, still have some kick, but nothing like currants.
Also June berries are sweet, some cultivars like Northline are awesome!

The purple gooseberries are pretty tasty, particular the European ones. I've had some that are quite sweet, others kind of tart, but tart like a raspberry, so quite edible. The currant worm (a sawfly larvae) can cause havoc, if you have them in your area.

Thank you for the input. I might hold off on these, im afraid i wouldnt likethem given that description which is what i needed to hear. I haven't lookedinto june berries, i will do that. I do have honeyberries on the way along with several varieties of blueberries, cherries, grapes, raspberries, and kiwis. Wow im going to be busy!

Hi Cody, It doesn't sound as if Currants are what you are looking for. As Drew said particularly Black Currants are an acquired taste. They are delicious but only when cooked. They make a great jam, jelly, sorbet or gelato. As for the red, white and pink currants they are great for making a coulis or jelly. They are not really an 'out of hand' eating berry. Look into blackberries and raspberries. Mrs. G

Ok, well you have a lot of fruit now, but their is a difference between cultivars for all of them some are better than others. If you list what cultivars you purchased I can comment and give suggestions.
You can change order if needed before they deliver.

My "Poorman" gooseberry fruited for the first time last year and they were good right off of the bush. It surprised me with how little acid they actually had not at all like other gooseberries. I can vouch for this one at least in my area. They also ripen in early to mid July and fill a void I had in harvest times.

For what its worth I think the clove currant "Crandall" tastes pretty good off the bush, but I haven't tried other black currant varieties to compare to. It is supposed to be the most mild black currant and actually a different species from the other European black currants. The red and yellow currants can be very sour.

This post was edited by gregkdc1 on Fri, Jan 16, 15 at 0:24

I have Poorman gooseberry (American cultivar) as well as Black Velvet gooseberry (European cultivar). The Poorman are much less tart... not really tart at all... but don't have as much flavor as the Black Velvet. The B.V. is tart like a red raspberry. If thorns are an issue, B.V. doesn't have many, but Poorman is thornier than rose bushes!

I have tried several currant/gooseberry varieties. Zone 4a Northeast South Dakota. Of course everyone's pallets are different but I hope this helps!

Black Currants:
Consort: have heard on one of these threads it tastes like cat pee...and that's pretty close. Had to mix with grape juice to make it palatable. Eventually tore out the bushes.

Ben Sarak/Ben Lomond: less intense flavor compared to Consort, which makes it great for eating off the plant...a definite recommend! If you can get your hands on black currant wine, that will give you a good idea of what your getting into. Purchased through Whitman farms.

...

Red Currants - multiple plants from Jungs
Red Lake, Rovada, Pink Champagne, Blanca, Imperial - I cant tell the difference. Mixed with grape juice adds a nice accent, but not for fresh eating...tart and dry, no sweetness.

...

Gooseberries:

Pixwell: I found these were just sugar with no distinct flavor - removed plants after 2 years

Tixia/Hinnomaki: purchased through Jung. The sweet/tart flavor advertised on the website fits well - kind of like pink lemonade - great flavor!
Invicta: I have had this one for 4 years and have yet to see a berry

And if you are thinking Service/JuneBerry...I don't recommend Regent. A previous thread described it as sweeter but blander than a blueberry which is a good description. I'll add with an apple like after-flavor.

Thnks for all the good info, much better than what you can find on the websites selling these plants.
northergrapes, i might have to try tixia or hinomaki, pink lemonade flavor sounds delicious. The poorman sounds good also, red raspberries dont seem tart to me.

drew, my current order is 2 juliet, 2 romeo, 2 cp, 1 cj cherry. 1brianna, 1 sommerset, 1 swenson red grape. 4 bluecrop, 1 ka bluey, 1 patriot, 1 jersey blueberry. 1 early blue and 1 sunrise honeyberry. 1 September sun plus male. I appreciate any recommendations.

Red/White currants are tart, but edible. Black currant (other than clove currants like Crandall) have an unpleasant taste (to me) fresh, but are great in jam.

Some gooseberries are sour, but others are really good. I could see most people liking Hinnomaki Yellow and Jeane. Both bushes are very weak growers for me. Black Velvet is a very strong grower, but the fruit is more variable for me. At it's best, it is a nice sweat-tart with a bit of blueberry flavor.

I haven't had much success with serviceberries. They haven't produced much for me and a good chunk of what is gets some sort of disease. The few which ripened, were pretty boring, so I'm planning on giving up on them and re-claiming the space.

"I'm not interested in preserves so much..."

Preserves aren't the only way of using the fruit cooked. Currants and gooseberries both freeze very well and make good pies, crumbles and compotes. My all time favourite red currant recipe does use them raw, but with a thin layer of water icing which makes a delicious combo. Both fruits are much sweeter when allowed to become fully ripe.

If you're going for serviceberries (we call them Saskatoons around here), the only variety I would choose is Smoky. It is the main one grown in commercial orchards here and has a strong blueberryish flavour, very sweet, no tartness. If tart appeals to you, then other choices might be better, but for me I avoid tart fruit whenever I can.

black velvet gooseberry and st. jahn's praire are my family's favorites. We eat them off the bush, we never leave any for preserves. They are so good fresh.

I just had some home made black currant preserves spread on a real crescent (not quite Parisian but a flaky butter pastry, anyway) and I suspect you don't know what your are missing.

I barely cook mine - just enough to dissolve the sugar, really, and then freeze it in small containers. So, so, so good. Not comparable to anything that can be bought, as far as I know- and I'm including those small batch, botique-y $8+ a jar types.

I love currants and gooseberries after reading this thread I'm adding more. I planted about 6 black currants last year. I'll add more too, you can't have too many.

Hman send me your home address (email) and I'll send you a jar of mine and I'll get that scion wood to you this spring. Mrs. G

Now you've all got me eager for summer. I planted some Black Velvet and Hinnomaki Red gooseberries last year and have more kinds, plus currants, on order. I hope I will like them fresh, though I do have a sweet tooth. Northwoodswis

The few Hinnomaki Red I've had have been pretty good, but not as sweet as they H-Yellow. I would have had a good sized sample last year, but lost the leaves on most of my bushes to gooseberry sawfly.

I've soured somewhat on Red/White currants and am focusing on blacks for preserves. I'll have to try making a batch as Harvestman describes.

The recent Nadia thread prompted me to order one from Raintree and of course, while I was there, I had to add a few Black Currants. So, I'm adding the following next year:

Strata (Raintree)
Ben Lomond (RT)
Black Reward (RT)
Titania (Indiana Berry)
Ben Sarek (RT)
Beauty of Altay (ARS/GRIN)

Harvestman, what type of Black Currants do you grow? Both my BC batches this year was the best I've ever had by quite a margin. I should update my Black Currant thread...

The year before I didn't have enough BC to do just that, and instead mixed it with Reds, Whites, and Gooseberries. it was OK, but the Hero Black Currant jam from the store were better (cheaper than botique-y ones at ~$3).

I am going to buy 2 more gooseberries and I would like to know if anybody has tasted Invicta? The taste descriptions on the net are mixed with some saying that they are sweet while others say they are best for cooking with. The size of the berry would be great if they really get as big as venders claim. I would like a dessert berry and currently have Blackvelvet and Poorman. I plan on adding Tixia and hopefully a yellow or green variety. My plants get a lot of sun and heat so that can be an issue but so far the 2 that I have don't seem to mind. Another variety I am considering is Hinnonmaki yellow but I don't know if it is disease or heat resistant enough for my area?

I have had the Black Velvet for more that 10 years and it is very good. Grows tall and always produces a large crop. Also have Hinnomaki Red and it is very nice but a small plant so not many on it. Also have many red and white currents and they are tart but you get used to them so they never go to waste. By the way a nice stalk of new rhubarb in the spring with a little salt on it is a very nice snack while walking around the yard.

I think Hinnomaki Yellow is an even smaller plant than H Red. But mine was quite productive on a per size basis in the last two years. Regrettably, one year something ate all the berries and the other year the sawfly (little worms) ate all the leaves. The few berries I've sampled, were very good, especially the year that the animal ate them (after giving them a few more days, I went out to pick and found everything gone...). Jeanne was just as good and is also small in stature, but hasn't been as productive yet.

I currently have growing Invicta, hinnomaki red and yellow, tixia, Jeanne, sabine, and jahns prarie. I lost over the winter poorman, hinnomaki red, black velvet. I don't know if I will replace those dead ones (I did hinnomaki red). I researched for disease resistance and flavor. I also have currants Crandall , titania, rovanda, primus ,minaj smyriou, 1301 white currant, gloire de sablons pink currant. I didn't lose any of the currants over my harsh winter this year.

I ended up ordering the crandall. Was back and fourth on that or hinnomaki or poorman. I figured at least if i dont like the flavor this plant will still look nice.

Poorman I have planted twice from two different companies. I won't replace that one.

Flowerchild, have you been able to taste your Minaj Smyriou currants and if so, what did you think?

All my currants and gooseberries are real young, I have some blossoms, I hope to get a taste or two this year.