Blackcurrants
Ben Avon
Ben Avon is a heavy cropping, late season blackcurrant with excellent growth habit. It has low susceptibility to leaf midges and has good resistance to mildew and leaf spot and is a sister seedling to Ben Dorain. Fruit matures at least 10 to 13 days after Ben Lomond, similar to Ben Alder but hangs on the bush better.
Characteristics: Juice quality is good overall, with high levels of vitamin C. Berries are large (>1g in most years).
Ben Hope
Ben Hope is a very vigorous and upright-growing blackcurrant bush, and most importantly has a high level of resistance to blackcurrant gall mite. As a consequence, it is amenable to low-input growing systems. Yields are consistently high, with medium-sized berries, and the fruit is acceptable for commercial juicing on all grounds, including good sensory quality.
Characteristics: Medium-large berry, usually over 1g, with good sensory qualities.
Ben Tirran
Ben Tirran is a machine-harvestable late-maturing blackcurrant variety with excellent fruit quality and productivity.
Characteristics: Similar to Ben Hope and suitable for all processing requirements. Ben Tirran usually produces a clean sample after harvest, so that post-harvest deterioration of fruit is minimised. Fruit size is usually around 1g per berry.
Ben Gairn
Ben Gairn is an early-ripening large-fruited blackcurrant variety with resistance to Blackcurrant Reversion Virus.
Characteristics: Good in terms of juice colour and anthocyanin content, although ascorbic acid levels are moderate to low. Flavour is acceptable in both fresh and processed forms. The berries are generally large (around 1.2g per berry), with good integrity after harvest.
Ben Alder
Ben Alder is a late-fruiting blackcurrant with outstanding juice colour.
Characteristics: Berries are medium sized (usually just over 1g), and ripe fruit will only hang on the bush for a limited time (less than a week). Fruit quality is excellent with high colour stability and the variety is recommended for juice production and processing outlets.
Ben Dorain
Characteristics: Some high Brix levels achieved, moderate vitamin C but good anthocyanin content. Berries have good hangability, and are usually around 1g.
Ben Starav
Characteristics: Produces medium-sized berries (usually slightly over 1g) on short strigs, vigorous growth. Excellent fruit processing quality, with high Brix and juice yield, and very high anthocyanin content.
Ben Kilbreck
Characteristics: Medium berry size, around 1g weight. Berry size medium (similar to Ben Hope). Fruit processing quality is good, with high vitamin C and anthocyanin contents.
Ben Vane
Characteristics: Berry size is usually small to medium at around 0.7g. Juice quality is very good, with high juice yield and Brix, low acidity and moderate-high vitamin C levels. Ben Vane also has outstanding sensory properties that are particularly valuable for all processing applications.
Big Ben
Characteristics: High Brix/acid ratios, from very large berries (usually > 2g). Yields are high, and the fruit is ideal for fresh consumption rather than juice processing.
Ben Finlay
Ben Finlay is a new gall mite-resistant blackcurrant from JHI, producing good yields of high-quality berries.
Characteristics: Fruit of Ben Finlay is high in vitamin C, with mean levels in the extracted juice above 200 mg/100ml. Acidity is generally high, and the anthocyanin content is higher than in juice of Ben Hope.
