Blackcurrants are popular in Europe but are mostly unknown here still. It feels like a strange history that this fruit was banned in America. Few folks in the United States have ever tasted one, really, which is surprising. They struggle to explain its unusual tangy flavor at all, truly. You might say that across the pond, people enjoy everything made of blackcurrants.
This berry was once quite familiar across the landscape here. Small purple – black fruits grew on bushes here, you see. Ribes nigrum plants bore these particularly delicious clusters nicely. American colonists and the earliest presidents surely enjoyed eating this fruit a lot. They were a familiar fixture on the table quite often back then.
Growing Ribes species was a big part of US agriculture at that time too. Farmers cultivated thousands of acres together around 1900. New York state grew most of the currants in the old time period. Around 12,000 acres were planted with just blackcurrants by the end of 1899. This fruit was used to make wine, bake pies, and preserve jam quite well. Its widespread use showed how popular this berry was here truly.
Their success ended fast due to an ecological snafu, alas for them. Trouble started in the early 1900s with a fungus from Europe, it seems. This invader targeted white pine trees, which were America’s vital resource indeed. Pine forests were cut rapidly for timber; certainly, that happened. Nurseries could not meet the high demand for new trees growing fast.
Farmers looked overseas for cheap seedlings that were readily available then. They unknowingly imported seeds carrying the blister rust fungus, which was very bad. Rust alarms sounded for US officials in 1909 and were quite loudly heard. It was first found on NY pines grown from German stock there. The disease causes yellowish swellings, which look like boils bursting forth. An affected tree starts a slow, agonizing death, it seems. Its needles turn a rusty color as the infection grips tightly upon them.
Blackcurrants also played a rather peculiar role in that fungus’s life cycle, oddly enough. This tree disease needs another host plant before returning to pine trees. It must infect this intermediary plant before returning to pines later. As fate had it, the Ribes species were crucial intermediary hosts, sadly. Blackcurrants, gooseberries, and white currants turned out to be the main plants here.
Facing a threat to the pine industry, they felt that one option remained for them. Authorities believed the intermediary hosts must be eliminated quickly, right now. White pine logging was worth a huge $1 billion then; it was really a lot of money. Ribes seemed less significant compared to this massive timber value at that time. The choice seemed stark based on a purely economic view then, too. This decision meant ending a part of the agricultural history here and its future.
The federal government reacted fast and took quite aggressive action. Congress banned black currants in 1911 to protect that industry. It was a full prohibition, not just a gentle suggestion. The government funded a plan to eradicate Ribes nationwide; it was totally eradicated now. Crews fanned out, destroying currant farms often using chemical spray. Wild bushes were also destroyed, finally breaking the fungus life cycle. As the plants were gone, the consumers’ memory of the fruit was surely erased from their minds.
A former director wrote about the intensity with which this conflict persisted for years. He called it a gigantic fight waged for 70 years. This showed that the threat to the pine industry was indeed serious, as they thought. The 1911 ban significantly restricted cultivation nationwide; certainly, this was felt. Importing European pine seedlings also became banned quickly in 1912.
Across the Atlantic, black currants had a very different journey indeed from that here. They remained incredibly popular and are still widely cultivated there today. Europe makes 99.1% of the world’s currants today; imagine that! This shows how central the fruit is to the culture there. It contrasts sharply with its absence in the US, a truly unique story. Usually, two-thirds of Europe’s black currants are used for making juice drinks. This is a testimony to their popularity as a beverage choice there, which has always been the case.
In England, blackcurrants gained great importance during World War II. Importing citrus fruits was hard due to wartime U-boat actions. Cordial always provided children with a vital Vitamin C supplement for their health needs. This helped prevent scurvy among the younger population then, mostly. Ribena is the famous cordial known by everyone there locally. Wartime needs cemented blackcurrants’ place in the British diet forever, for sure. Most UK blackcurrants went to Ribena’s factory by the end of 2010.
The success of European products is undeniable; it has really been proven true. Ribena and Lucozade generated huge sales before these brands were sold later. This European enthusiasm starkly contrasts with the nearly complete absence of blackcurrants in the US. The decades-long ban wiped the berry out from coast to coast here.
US government actions had deep and lasting impacts, for sure. The memory of blackcurrants faded from people’s minds, replaced by other widely available flavors now. Purple candies here are grape-flavored, while in the UK/Australia, blackcurrant-flavored candies are common; the difference is notable. This small variation in candy flavors is a direct legacy of America’s “berry war”. The ecological threat led to the near-total eradication of the fruit, which is truly gone. It vanished from the everyday American diet and from consumers’ memories forever.
The ban was federal, but many states still kept their own rules. They maintained bans even after the federal ban was lifted in 1966, certainly. The fear surrounding the white pine industry remained deeply rooted then. Connecticut’s 1929 law fined anyone who had currant plants on their property there. This law stayed in effect until 1988, quite a long time indeed. New York, a top producer, held out even longer; its ban lasted until 2003, making growing difficult for producers, honestly.
Blackcurrants had a difficult time in America. This long ban started at the federal level. It was technically lifted only in 1966. Many states continued to enforce their own rules. Fear for white pine trees remained a major concern. That seventy-year fight had held a strong grip; it seemed like.
Take Connecticut as an example. Its ban stayed in effect for a long time. A 1929 law imposed fines of up to $25 on people who had currant plants. Can you imagine just having a berry bush? This prohibition was lifted only in 1988. It showed how deeply the anxiety about blister rust ran.
New York was once the king of US currant growing. You would expect it to jump on the chance quickly. However, it held out even longer than others. Its state ban stayed in place until 2003. Bringing commercial blackcurrant farming back there was hard. State-level persistence created a fragmented situation for growers.
A few dedicated people helped change the situation. They saw potential and cultural value. Greg Quinn in New York was one champion. He had a background in horticulture. Tasting cassis liqueur sparked his goal: he wanted to restore the fruit here.
His 2003 success was a key step forward. It opened doors for growing blackcurrants in New York again. Scientific progress helped make this comeback happen. Botanists bred new resistant varieties since the early 1900s. These plants posed far less risk to pine trees. The necessary scientific basis came from this advancement.
Blackcurrants are making a slow return across parts of the US. The USDA doesn’t track this specific crop much. This suggests it’s still a market niche. Reports show pockets of growing re-emerging now. Farms can be found in places like New York’s Hudson Valley. Connecticut and Oregon also have farms, along with other states.
Greg Quinn’s own farm shows this return. He grows sixteen thousand pounds of blackcurrants yearly in New York. That is certainly a large quantity of berries. He chose an entrepreneurial path, selling products under his brand, CurrantC. A blackcurrant nectar is his main product. This shows the market potential of using processed goods.
The path back still has its challenges. Marketing and selling the fruit is the biggest one. Most Americans don’t know blackcurrants after years of absence. Consumers just don’t know what to do with them. The tart flavor profile can be off-putting here. Europeans recognize and widely love its flavor.
Quinn admits the difficulty openly. He describes his efforts as pushing a rock uphill. Introducing blackcurrants to people is hard work. He feels the disconnect personally. This is a fruit that everybody knows about except in the US. Lack of recognition makes marketing tough for sure.
This story about the blackcurrant ban is weird. It is part of a larger pattern in US history. Regulating or banning foods has happened at other times, not just for safety or endangered species reasons. The context shows strange and unexpected causes sometimes. It puts the blackcurrant case into a broader perspective.
Mangosteens are delicious tropical fruits. For a time, it was illegal to import them. Even crops from Hawaii couldn’t be imported here. The reason wasn’t related to diseases of major crops. Instead, it was fear of pests from Southeast Asia. The first shipments arrived only in 2007.
They had to be irradiated before shipment. Exposing the fruit to radiation helped reduce the pest risk, finally allowing Americans to access the fruit. For years, they had been basically forbidden here. This import concern was a surprising reason for the ban.
Gooseberries are like blackcurrants. They are also members of the Ribes species of plants. They share a similar history regarding pine rust. Gooseberry bushes were susceptible to the same disease. This led to their ban in the early 1900s. They faced a hard fight to regain favor here.
They taste tart when young and sweet when ripe. They are good for making jams or serving on cheese platters. Britain had gooseberry fan clubs long ago, but they never caught on here again like other berries. Experts suggest that a good market could be waiting, mirroring the potential that blackcurrant supporters see today.
Alcohol prohibition is the most infamous. The year 1920 marked the beginning of thirteen theoretically alcohol-free years. History shows that it certainly did not go well. Outlawing alcohol had fast and far-reaching outcomes. It quickly fueled organized crime groups. The story fills many books easily.
Prohibition wasn’t actually the first time. There was a temporary one in 1918. It helped inspire the move to make it permanent later. The motivations behind the permanent one were mixed. Some campaigned for what they said were moral reasons. Others were unfortunately driven by racist stereotypes.
Lerner notes that anti-immigrant sentiment was masked, as people were trying to deal with immigrant social problems. Whatever the reasons, the policy was terrible. Countless jobs were lost completely. Restaurants and theaters also closed down. Law enforcement was stretched too thin.
People started drinking more dangerous things. Figures like the Rockefellers wanted the ban lifted. Roosevelt promised its repeal while campaigning. He ended Prohibition in 1933. It was necessary to acknowledge its failure and problems.
Ackee is a main fruit in Jamaica. It is often eaten with saltfish for breakfast. For years, you couldn’t recreate it here. The cause is a toxin in unripe fruit. It can severely cause low blood sugar. This led to ackee being banned in 1973.
Good news exists for ackee lovers. Jamaica worked with the US FDA in the late 1990s. They established controls for the safety of canned ackee. The fruit must ripen naturally before processing. This significantly reduces the toxin levels. It turns out that training is needed for handling the fruit safely.
The FDA started inspecting facilities carefully. Companies got approval to import canned ackee. This started happening at the beginning of 2000. Fresh ackee still can’t be imported here. Canned ackee is available, overcoming a safety – related ban. Scientific understanding helped solve this problem.
Saccharin, a sweetener, faced a ban period. It is found in products everywhere today. Researchers fed it to rats in the 1970s. The rats developed cancerous tumors later. From this, the sweetener’s status changed to carcinogenic. A ban was officially issued in 1981.
This ban caused huge controversy. The debate raged through the 1990s. Were the rat studies actually flawed? Banning it was seen as detrimental by some people. Especially considering that it was a sugar alternative. The fact that children were top consumers made the situation complex.
The ban was overturned after some years. Saccharin is now recognized as a safe food additive. The key explanation involved the dosage amount. You see, the rats received extremely high amounts. A human dose would be ninety – six hundred ounces of soda daily. This perspective shifted the way people viewed safety levels.
The ban on Beluga caviar was a big loss. This expensive food came from sturgeon. It was banned in the US starting in 2005. Unfortunately, Beluga sturgeon faced extinction. Wild fish populations were declining badly. Fishing pressure drove up the demand for their eggs.
These fish live in freshwater or saltwater. They sometimes reach enormous sizes. The largest one recorded was over seven thousand pounds. The import of wild Beluga caviar remains banned today. This protects the remaining fish population. You can get it from specific sources.
Marky’s Caviar plays a role in this. They actually run a sturgeon farm. They have successfully bred tens of thousands of Beluga sturgeon. Aquaculture allows people to enjoy caviar again. Knowing that it comes from managed sources helps. Responsible farming brings the forbidden food back.
Sichuan peppercorns also got banned. They are an essential ingredient for that tingly feeling. Technically, they were prohibited for thirty – seven years. However, the ban was often not enforced strictly. People found ways to get them anyway. The berries grow on a prickly ash shrub.
This plant is susceptible to diseases, including canker and leaf spot. There was a fear that the diseases could spread here. The ban had periods of lax enforcement. It was enforced better between 2003 and 2005. Then, peppercorns largely disappeared from the market.
The ban was lifted after an agreement. The peppercorns had to be heat – treated first. This kills any potential diseases, you see. Now, brands of them are easily available. Home cooks can recreate dishes authentically again. It’s a welcomed return for that unique flavor.
Believe it or not, sliced bread was once banned. It was a peculiar event during World War II. This ban was enacted in 1943. The logic was tied to wartime saving efforts. Whole loaves needed less wax paper for packaging. However, the policy quickly backfired.
Arguments claimed that sliced loaves lasted longer because they weren’t handled repeatedly for cutting. The ban meant that more bread knives were suddenly needed. Things got pretty heated fast. Customers threatened bakers, they say. One congressman called it an abuse of power.
Complaints poured in from people who were struggling. The Associated Press printed advice on slicing. Tips included using a gentle sawing motion. It described slicing your own bread as a lost art. People were very used to the convenience. This bizarre ban only lasted two months.
Legislators reversed it, admitting failure. It hadn’t worked out as they had intended. British lamb and beef imports faced bans. Britain has a long history of raising livestock like sheep. Lamb has now earned a reputation as tender meat. Both were banned due to mad cow disease outbreaks.
Outbreaks were traced to contaminated feed sources. Symptoms take years to appear in animals. Eating meat can cause a fatal brain condition in humans. Bans were imposed multiple times to stop the spread. Lamb imports were stopped in 1989 and 1996. Beef imports were also banned in 1996.
These bans lasted for a long time. British beef got the green light in 2019. It was allowed to resume exports to the US. Strict safety controls were required to be shown. Tracing procedures were also needed. The ban was eventually resolved through regulatory measures.
Looking at these diverse examples is interesting. We can see tropical fruits, meats, and sweeteners. Even sliced bread was banned temporarily. The blackcurrant saga fits this historical pattern. Prohibition is often followed by an eventual return. The reasons vary wildly across cases.
They span the fields of ecology and pest control. Human health scares also caused bans. Wartime rationing was once a reason. Even social engineering or moral crusades occurred. Many stories clearly share this common thread. Bans were initially driven by significant concerns.
Periods of adaptation followed later. Scientific advancement played a big role. Lobbying or changing priorities also helped. This sometimes led to an eventual return. Conditions such as irradiation or heat – treating were needed then. The blackcurrant comeback fits neatly here.
Dedicated growers championed efforts to return it. Disease – resistant varieties helped immensely. Lifting state rules was also crucial. Its challenge now is less about legality and more about rediscovering its place here. It held a place before pine trees became important.
The path involves educating consumers better and creating new traditions for this fruit. It’s a favorite elsewhere around the world. A story about resilience unfolds here. Persistence and evolving relationships matter. A fruit that was almost forgotten finds its way back.
Related posts:
Growing this fruit used to be illegal
These 10 Ingredients Were Once Banned In The US, But Not Anymore
There’s an intriguing reason why 99.9% of Americans have never tasted blackcurrant but Europeans love it
