Currant
Currant - one of the major fruit crops of the Old World. Enjoy the fruits of its continued popularity as a dessert, and as anti-scorbutic product, which is prepared for future use with sugar. Currant is a raw material for confectionery and canning industries, for making beverages, jellies, jams, jellies, juices, food products. Even the leaves of currants attract housewives to their flavor and thus form an integral part of the pickles and marinades.Originally blackcurrant served as a healing agent, and then she began to use and how berry plants. In Russia already in the XI century (much earlier than in Western Europe), black currant bred in the monasteries, princely and boyar gardens. In 1701, the census black currant has been registered in many gardens in Russia and, apparently, enjoyed a certain popularity. Of particular interest in the bush, which grows in the wild along river banks, in ravines, in moist places of forest and forest-steppe regions of the European part of the Urals, in Siberia and Kazakhstan, emerged relatively recently - since, as was set high biological activity fruits, buds and leaves of this plant. Thus, the quantity of vitamin C currants second only to the hips and actinides and exceeds the raspberries and citrus. In Siberia, this berry called "Aldan grapes." It is no accident: a brush with currant big as a grape fruit reaches 14 centimeters.
Generic name "Ribes" is derived from the Arabic "Ribas". So the Arabs called one of the types of rhubarb sour taste - Reumah Ribes. When in the VIII century, they conquered Spain, then transferred this name to the growing gooseberries there that has the same sour taste. The modern genus includes not only the gooseberry, but currants. The generic definition of "nigrum" - black - due to the color of ripe fruit. Russian "currant" is genetically related to the "stench Smorodov" because of the smell of leaves.
Rhode Currant There are over 140 species of wild plants in our country about 37 species, among them some were introduced into the culture, but in general culture came in the form of black currant. Doctors compare the treatment of seasonal berries, black currants with resorts and recommend them as fresh and in processed.
Healing properties have not only benefits but also buds and leaves, the aqueous extract which helps release the body of excess uric and oxalic acids, helps with rheumatism and gout. In folk medicine the leaves in the form of hot tea is used in kidney stones, urinary bladder. Fruits and leaves have anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, diuretic, multivitamins properties, increasing the body's resistance to infectious diseases; antiscorbutic action; syrup from fresh fruit is prescribed for hoarseness and whooping cough. Many prefer black currant leaves her kidneys. This has a special meaning. After all, black currant buds may break in the winter.
Widely cultivated in our country and another type of currant - red. Significantly inferior black currant on the content of vitamin C, fruit red currant surpass it by the number of other important vitamins - Au have a number of its qualities, the lack of black currant. Red Currant more juicy, juice gives 10 percent more black and red currant bushes and more winter-hardy crop yields; juice it - the perfect dietary means, particularly in pediatric practice.
In cosmetics fruit red currant (as well as and black) are used as a bleaching agent to bleaching freckles on her face. Pre fruits need to stretch, and then apply on face as a mask for 20-30 minutes and rinse with warm water. Perfectly clean skin, give it flexibility, elasticity, eliminate odor, improve metabolism, has a calming effect on the body "beauty baths" for women: a sheet of black currant, nettle, chamomile fragrant, creeping thyme, a succession of Trifid. Infusion of leaves treats kozhyaye disease: diathesis and skin rash in children. In France, the infusion of the leaves is used as a means of toning the skin, in Poland - with skin diseases in Tibetan medicine - skin diseases, diathesis, for flavoring, bathrooms, improve metabolism.