Later season British fruits like blackcurrants and greengages are much sweeter this year thanks to the heatwave.
Soaring temperatures in June and July caused misery for many farmers due to the lack of rainfall. But for many fruits, the extra sun was a sweet surprise, raising their brix content, especially after a cold winter.
The British Blackcurrant Association announced a sweeter crop this year, thanking the extended winter and hotter summer for their quality, with an estimated yield of around 12,000 tonnes.
Like other fruits, blackcurrant bushes require a period of low winter temperature to initiate a regular and sustained flowering process, according to the association.
The exposure to the prolonged period of cooler weather over the winter and spring has produced healthier bushes because they have had more time to amass winter chill hours before producing blackcurrants. Coupled with this, higher than average temperatures and increase in sunshine hours have resulted in a higher than normal Brix level, which yields a significantly sweeter and juicier crop.
For processors, this is great news as they need to use less fruit to make the same amount of product.
The Blackcurrant Foundation’s spokesperson Jo Hilditch said: “The quality of this season’s blackcurrant production is excellent. We are focused on maximising the sweetness and taste of our berries to let the consumer enjoy the natural goodness of British blackcurrants.'
Ninety per cent of British blackcurrants are destined for Ribena with a small amount finding their way to the supermarket shelves and also into other products including frozen formats and drinks.
The eight-week British greengage season has also come up with a sweeter offering thanks to the brighter weather.
Tim Stevens, Waitrose fruit buyer said the stonefruit retained a loyal fanbase, that may get a boost after this year’s quality crop.“British tastes are constantly changing, but Waitrose customers continue to opt for these sweet and succulent green-hued plums,' Stevens said.
“This year, thanks to the warm weather, our greengages are even sweeter so are perfect to eat as they are, delicious in a tart or when made into jam.'
