Currant Ida

Black currant of the 'Ida' variety is a late-ripening, high-yielding variety with excellent winter hardiness and resistance to many diseases. The bushes are of medium height, with a compact crown of medium density and straight, thin brown shoots. The leaves are small, three-lobed with deep notches, leathery and smooth to the touch. Flowering is abundant; flowers are gathered in long racemes 5–7 cm long, on which 5 to 9 berries form.

The berries of the 'Ida' variety are large, weighing on average 1.4 g, with a maximum weight reaching 2.4 g, spherical in shape and shiny in the light. They are juicy, with a thin skin and a small number of seeds, and have a sour-sweet taste with a pleasant aroma, confirmed by a high tasting score of 4.4 points. The berries contain a significant amount of sugars (about 12–13%), acids (about 1–2%), vitamin C (up to 48 mg per 100 g) and carotene (about 9–11 mg per 100 g), as well as pectin substances, which makes them versatile for fresh consumption and processing into jam, jelly, compotes, juices, as well as for drying and freezing.

The 'Ida' variety is characterized by high yield — on average 4.3 kg per bush; in industrial plantings, the yield reaches 14.5–16.7 tons per hectare. Berry ripening occurs at the end of July — beginning of August; fruiting is prolonged and synchronized, which allows for mechanized harvesting. The plant prefers sunny locations, has high frost resistance down to -40 °C, as well as drought and heat resistance. Additionally, the variety is distinguished by high resistance to pests and diseases, which makes it a reliable choice for growing in various climatic conditions.