When to Harvest Cassis?

Harvesting blackcurrants is a dicey affair. Like most berries, they are delicate, with a fleeting window in which they can be picked — usually the first two weeks of July — before they rot and fall off the bush.

How do you know when a black currant is ripe?

Fully ripe currants possess the characteristic color of the variety (red, white, or black), are slightly soft and juicy. For jellies and jams, harvest currants before the berries are fully ripe. Fruit harvested for jellies and jams should be well colored, but still firm.

Why is black currant illegal in the US?

The nutrient-rich berries were banned in 1911 because they were thought to produce a fungus that could damage pine trees. As new disease-resistant berries were produced and new ways to prevent the fungus from damaging timber were developed, some states started to lift the ban in 2003.