How to make raisins from grapes at home.
Sunbaked raisins is a delicious, natural, light snack and a great addition to many recipes, such as oatmeal cookies. Raisins aren’t hard to make if you follow these simple steps.
If you want to dry raisins, use a dryer or oven.
Start with fresh green or blue grapes. Make sure that it is fresh, ripe, not soft and not damaged. Check it carefully.
Remove the large twigs and rinse the grapes thoroughly under water. Do not cut off all the grapes from the branches. If you are not sure about the origin of the grapes, wash them in a diluted bleach solution (2 drops of household bleach per liter of water) to make it safer.
Place the grapes on the tray. Use a wooden, wicker, bamboo or plastic mesh tray to allow air to circulate around the fruit.
Put the tray with grapes in a dry, sunny place (this requires hot, dry weather). If fog or dew is possible at night, bring the trays indoors overnight.
Leave the grapes in the sun for 2-3 days, or until they dry out (taste). Rotate the grapes and/or trays to ensure even sun exposure.
Carefully remove the remaining branches from the dried grapes and store them in a dry, airtight container in a cool place.
Tips for making raisins.
— Protect dried fruit from insects such as flies. If necessary, lightly cover the grapes with cheesecloth (not plastic) or a metal mesh.
— Watch for moisture or rot. If a few grapes don’t look good, throw them away from the tray and spread the other grapes out to dry. Remember that dried grapes will shrivel and shrink without turning into mush and rot.
— Warm air will help the grapes to dry faster. If possible, place the trays on the south side, where the wind prevails.
— In general, professionals often dry raisins by hanging bunches of grapes on a rope or wire. This is a more complicated method than using a flat tray, but works better because the air affects the berries as much as possible.
— Overripe grapes will take longer to dry and may rot before they dry. It is better to dry slightly unripe but sweet grapes.
