Knowra Raisin Raisin A raisin is a grape preserved by drying, which concentrates its sugars and gives it a chewy texture. Raisins are eaten as snacks and used in cooking and baking.
Grape : A small, sweet fruit that grows in clusters on vines of the genus Vitis. Raisins begin as grapes, whose variety and ripeness shape the dried fruit.
Sun drying : A method of drying food by exposing it to sunlight and ambient air. Many raisins are made by drying grapes outdoors in the sun.
Raisin bread : A bread made with raisins mixed into its dough. Raisins add sweetness and bursts of fruit flavor to enriched and everyday breads.
Currant : A small dried fruit; the name can describe dried Black Corinth grapes or berries of Ribes species. In baking, currants may resemble raisins but can come from different plants.
Drying : The removal of moisture from a material, often to preserve it or change its texture. Removing water transforms a grape into a shelf-stable, chewy raisin.
Mechanical drying : The removal of moisture using equipment that controls heat and airflow. Controlled drying offers an alternative to leaving grapes in the sun.
Trail mix : A portable mixture of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and sometimes other snack foods. Raisins provide sweetness and chew in a common portable snack.
Sultana : A small, sweet dried grape, commonly made from seedless white grape varieties. Sultanas are closely related dried grapes, often lighter and smaller than typical raisins.
Water activity : A measure of the freely available water in a material, relevant to microbial growth and food stability. A raisin’s low water activity helps limit microbial growth during storage.
Maillard reaction : A set of chemical reactions between amino compounds and reducing sugars that can brown food during heating or storage. Heat and storage can contribute to browning and flavor changes in dried grapes.
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