CUR′RANTS

The currants of our garden are varieties of the Ribes rubrum and Ribes nigrum . (Linn.) The first includes RED CURRANTS and WHITE CURRANTS ; the fruit of both of which are gently acidulous, cooling, and wholesome. The juice makes excellent wine. The fruit of the last ( BLACK CURRANTS , QUINSY-BERRIES ) is aperitive, and has been used in calculous affections; the juice is made into wine, jellies, jams, lozenges, . The young leaves are used as a substitute for tea; one or two buds, or half a small leaf, impart to black tea the flavour and fragrance of green. The currants of the grocers ( Zante currants ) are a small variety of dried grapes. The word “currant” is a corruption of Corinth, whence the fruit originally came.