As far as I know, true "currants" (red or black) do not have enough sugar and have too much water to be successfully dried. The British bastardize the pronunciation of everything, particularly French. The dried fruit we call "currants" are actually small, dried grapes that came from Corinth in Greece. The French called them "raisins de Corinthe", the "Corinthe" part of which, pronounced in French, sounded like "currant" to the parochial British ear. But you're right, "currants" (small raisins) can be hard to find. Sunkist puts out a version they call "Zante" currants after the Greek island that was once the principal producer.

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