The Wild Horse Ranch Presents:

- The Wild Black Current Bush -

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The fruit of the Wild Black Current has pound for pound the highest source of vitamin C and calcium of any fruit on the planet.

Click to View Wild Black Currant Berries

The only way the high vitamin C and calcium is maintained, is by freezer jams, or drying in fruit roll ups.  Upon thawing the freezer jam, is good for two weeks in the refrigerator.  The fruit roll ups are good for up to one year if properly sealed.  The plant itself was called loosely translated by the indigenous people of North America “the medicine bush”.  The fruit would be dried and mixed with dry meat, for winter use.  We make a fruit roll up with the fruit and because we do not heat up the fruit in any way in this process, it maintains all of its vitamins, and calcium.

The propagation of this plant has been considered by many agricultural institutions, as not economically viable.  I will list some of the reasons:

a)      A plant requires pristine growing conditions, in soil that has not had chemicals, or pesticides used.

b)      The plant if started, as a small off-chute, will take approximately five years, to be a viable source of product.

c)      Any herbicide or chemicals sprayed close or in the neighboring area, will kill the plant.

d)      The fruit comes ripe over a six week time frame.  Therefore requiring multiple pickings.  Although one benefit to this, is the plant produces double the fruit of the tame black current.

e)       The leaves of the plant which are used for the tea, ripen at different times in the fall, therefore also requiring multiple pickings as well.

f)        Grasses and weeds in a close proximity to the plant, must be kept cut short, in order to give the plant the maximum benefit for growth, this is very labor intensive. 

Benefits of the tea

This information was related to me by one of the last medicine man in the area, and therefore, only to be considered anecdotal.  The taste of the tea is pleasant to the palette.  In times of food shortage experienced by the indigenous people, from time to time, the tea was used as an appetite suppressant.  Many of my friends have used the tea in their attempts to lose unwanted pounds, and they have told me they have experienced significant weight loss.  For this, the tea should not have anything other than water added to it.  The dry tea was crushed very fine, and used on animals and humans, on open cuts, and wounds, even cancerous growths.  Then covered by a cloth or gauze and changed on a daily basis.  We of course, are not recommending this however.  I myself have used it in this way and found it to be extremely beneficial.  A dear friend has had the tea analyzed, at the University at Osaka, Japan, and the results they found is that the tea is extremely high in anti oxidants, more so than the best green tea in the world.

Click to Enlarge Black Currant in Full Blossom

One benefit from using the tea also anecdotal information is in memory and mental sharpness.  Many of my friends enjoy the tea before going to bed, and they find that it helps them sleep better.

I have made repeated attempts to have the tea analyzed by our local Universities, to no avail, simply because it is not a commercially viable product.  Perhaps we are losing out on one of nature’s best medicines, because of this. 

Benefits of the fruit roll ups are as follows:

A small amount consumed on a daily basis, will provide all the calcium and vitamin C needed in ones diet, it is also very easily assimilated by the body and tastes great.  The roll ups are convenient for camping hiking, biking, outdoor activities, etc.  My friend’s children and grand-children, can’t get enough.

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