thumb|A variety of raisins from different grapes

thumb|Golden raisins (sultanas)

A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. The word raisin is commonly used for the dried dark-colored seedless grape, while sultana is a golden-colored dried grape, and currant is a dried small Black Corinth seedless grape.

Varieties

thumb|California seedless grape raisins (left) and California [[Zante currants (right), along with a metric ruler for scale]]

Raisin varieties depend on the types of grapes used and appear in a variety of sizes and colors, including black, brown, and yellow. Seedless varieties include sultanas (the common American type is known as Thompson Seedless in the United States), Zante currants (black Corinthian raisins, Vitis vinifera L. var. Apyrena),

Black Corinth or Zante currants are small, sometimes seedless, raisins that are much darker and have a tart, tangy flavor. They are usually called currants.

Processing

thumb|Drying raisins at [[Gata de Gorgos, Video by Valencian Museum of Ethnology.]]

Raisins are produced commercially by drying harvested grape berries. For a grape berry to dry, water inside the grape must be removed completely from the interior of the cells onto the surface of the grape where the water droplets can evaporate. However, this diffusion process is very difficult because the grape skin contains wax in its cuticle, which prevents the water from passing through. The three steps to commercial raisin production include pre-treatment, drying, and post-drying processes.

Nutrition

Raisins are 15% water, 79% carbohydrates (including 4% fiber), and 3% protein, and contain negligible fat (table). In a reference amount of , raisins supply 299 kilocalories and moderate amounts (10–19% DV) of the Daily Value (DV) of riboflavin, vitamin B6, and several dietary minerals rich in content (above 20% DV), including potassium and copper (table).

Toxicity in animals

Raisins can cause kidney failure in both cats and dogs. The cause of this is not known.

thumb|Raisin sale at khari baoli market, Delhi

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File:Sunmaid-Raisin-Pile.jpg|Common commercial raisins

File:Chunche.jpg|Chunche, ventilated sheds for drying grapes into raisins in Xinjiang

File:Taliparamba grocery.jpg|Raisins offered for sale at a market in Taliparamba, India

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See also

  • Dried fruit
  • Raisin cake
  • Snap-dragon, a Victorian parlour game that involved raisins being plucked from a bowl of burning brandy
  • Sun-Maid, a popular brand of raisins available in North America and the United Kingdom
  • The California Raisins, a fictional music group of anthropomorphized raisins created by CalRAB to promote the food on TV
  • The chocolate-covered raisin, a candy made by coating the dried fruit in chocolate
  • Oatmeal raisin cookie

References