How to make raisins from grapes at home? Instructions at ydoo.info

Is it possible to make raisins from grapes at home?

When asked how to make raisins from grapes at home, they usually answer that it is first better to choose a suitable variety for this purpose.

When drying berries at home, you can rest assured of their quality and always have healthy dried fruit on hand, which can be consumed both fresh and in a wide variety of dishes.

Raisins contain a lot of fructose, vitamins and minerals; they are ideal for a daily and complete diet. Dark varieties are more healthy than light ones, but almost any type is suitable for making raisins.

Raisin

Ways to get raisins

First you need to harvest the crop and prepare it for the harvesting process. The berries must be ripe and free from various damage. There are different ways to dry grapes. It is worth familiarizing yourself with the various methods to choose the most convenient one for yourself. The main methods include:

Natural drying;
In the oven;
In an electric dryer;
Using alkali.

Manufacturing in direct sunlight

This method is not the fastest, but it is economical and accessible. The entire crop should be inspected, any rotten spoiled berries should be removed, and then laid out on a dry surface in the sun. There is no need to remove the grapes from the grapes. Periodically, every few days, the fruits are turned over to the other side. The method involves drying for up to three weeks.

Production of raisins by natural drying. Grapes dry on ropes near the ceiling.

Oven application

This method requires removing the fruit from the branches after the clusters have been thoroughly washed with cool water. Excess moisture is shaken off the brushes, after which healthy, ripe berries are selected for cooking. Fruits to be removed:

Dry;
Rotten;
Affected by diseases and pests;
Frostbitten.

Selected grapes are immersed in a boiling soda solution for 5 seconds. This technique is needed to crack the skin, as a result of which the moisture will evaporate faster.

After drying the grapes with a waffle towel, place them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. You need to dry the product with the oven door open, setting the temperature to 50-60 degrees. The duration of the procedure is 10 hours in total. It is necessary to take breaks periodically to allow the berries to cool.

Drying in an electric dryer

The washed grapes are laid out in one layer on trays of an electric dryer . The first drying stage lasts eight hours. Moreover, it is necessary to change the pallets every hour. After turning off the device, you need to let it cool and start the process again for eight hours. For large grapes, two stages are not enough; another one will be required.

Some people use a different method: they increase the number of approaches, reducing the drying time to four hours. The break with this option is 2 hours. The total drying time varies from twenty to twenty-five hours, depending on the size of the berries.

Making raisins in an electric dryer

Alkaline method

The method is to use alkali. If possible, grape bunches are fumigated with sulfur or immersed in a boiling alkaline solution for 10 seconds. For 10 liters of water, use 40 grams of baking soda. Afterwards you need to quickly remove them, rinse them with cool water and dry them. Treated branches with berries are hung in the room. Boxes are installed under them so that the finished raisins, falling from the brushes, fall into them. When drying using this method, avoid exposure to direct sunlight.

What types of berries are suitable for turning into raisins?

All types of grapes are suitable for making raisins, but the sweetest varieties are often chosen as the best varieties, for example, black, white or pink Kishmish.

Due to the small size of these berries, the drying process can be accelerated, while it should be borne in mind that dried grapes can lose up to 85% of moisture, but completely retain the amount of sugar.

Seedless berries are also more often used for drying, they can be small or large, and have a tart, nutmeg or sweet and sour flavor, depending on the original variety.

For reference! In addition to Kishmish, grape varieties called Sultani, Rizamat or Nimrang are an excellent option.

Almost any grape is suitable for making raisins.

What are the benefits of raisins?

Raisins contain a large amount of vitamins that are beneficial to the human body.

Raisins are exactly 10 times healthier than fresh grapes. The value of dried grapes is determined by the rich content of vitamins, microelements and fiber. This composition allows you to influence all systems of the human body in a comprehensive manner. Raisins will be useful:

During pregnancy and lactation. It increases hemoglobin, replenishes iron deficiency during pregnancy and improves lactation during feeding.
To strengthen the heart and blood vessels. The high content of potassium and magnesium has a beneficial effect on the myocardium. In addition, it is a natural remedy for lowering blood pressure.
As an antibacterial agent. Due to the content of oleanolic acid, raisins are used in dentistry.
As an expectorant. Used for respiratory diseases: pharyngitis and pneumonia.
For the endocrine system, due to the high iodine content.
Like an energy drink. Due to its composition, raisins are recommended for athletes under high loads.
To strengthen the nervous system. Microelements and B vitamins will ensure healthy sleep and relieve depression.
As an additional treatment. To strengthen the immune system, for anemia, fever and kidney problems.
As a sexual stimulant. Raisins are an aphrodisiac that enhances erections.
As a dietary product. Reduces hunger and normalizes digestion.
To improve skin condition, as it contains grape oil.
To cleanse the body. The fiber content makes it possible to gently cleanse the intestines.

Raisins, despite their high calorie content, are often included in various diets. In this case, it is recommended to simply dissolve it for a few minutes. At the same time, the body is saturated with everything necessary, and the intake of calories into the body will be minimal.

Contraindications for the use of raisins. This is a high-calorie product, so it should not be abused by overweight people. The presence of diabetes mellitus imposes restrictions on the use of this product. Raisins should be consumed with caution if you have gastritis and should be completely avoided if you have allergies.

In this case, the principle is the same as that used when drying in the oven. The prepared grapes are placed on pallets and the temperature is set to 65°C. Drying time - 25 hours. If you want to obtain a certain amount of the finished product, you should take into account that when drying, the grapes lose 3-4 times in weight.

Which DIY method is best?

Making raisins at home can be done in a variety of ways, such as drying the grapes using a dehydrator or oven, traditionally in the sun or using the more modern alkaline method.

First of all, you will need to properly prepare the starting raw material - grapes, so that the finished product is tasty and retains all its nutritional properties. First, the berries are inspected and grapes with damage, cracks or dents are removed.

Interesting! The simplest methods of drying grapes have been known since ancient times, when the berries were simply dried under the sun. Gradually, other options that are known now were developed.

It is also better to separate large and small berries in advance; large grapes are cut into two parts so that they dry evenly. It is extremely important to select only fully ripe berries, since unripe ones will not turn into raisins of adequate quality.

When choosing a harvesting technique, one is guided by convenience and individual conditions. You need to follow the basic rules to make the raisins really tasty:

grapes on the site before drying are harvested only in dry and sunny weather, since berries soaked in moisture will dry much longer and become less tasty;
vines with grapes are not watered for 8-10 days before harvest in order to reduce excess moisture in the fruit;
the harvest is not washed, the berries just need to be picked by hand and cleaned of dirt or dust; they can only be treated with soda, which speeds up drying.

How to do

There are several ways to dry grapes - choose the one that is most convenient for you.

Under the sun

The method is slow, but simple. There is no need to wash the bunches first, but you need to sort them out, remove leaves and spoiled berries. The drying time depends on the temperature outside, the length of daylight, the size of the berries and many other factors. On average, it will take 2-3 weeks to get ready-made raisins.

You can spread out or hang the grapes directly on the bunches. But make sure they are not too heavy and the top berries won't crush the bottom ones.
You can also carefully remove the fruits from the bunches and sort them by eye by size - into large, small and medium. Next, they are laid out on trays or shallow boxes, previously lined with parchment paper.

The grapes are dried in a warm place with low humidity, good ventilation and direct sunlight. Once every 2-3 days, the berries must be turned over so that they warm up evenly.

In the shadow

Raisins obtained in this way will come out softer and juicier inside than if they were dried in the sun. There will be no difference in taste or nutritional value.

To dry grapes in the shade, you need to prepare a dry room with very good ventilation - for example, an attic or a spacious veranda, open on 2-3 sides, are suitable. There, under the ceiling, you need to stretch thin but strong ropes. There are several ways to attach bunches to them:

For thick brush stems, place them on wire hooks.
Attach one at a time with clothespins.
Tie two hands tightly by the legs and throw them over the ropes.

The period for drying grapes in the shade is from 2-3 weeks to 1-2 months. During this time, the brushes should be inspected a couple of times a week and, if necessary, those berries that have begun to deteriorate should be removed.

In the oven

If you don’t have time or opportunity to dry grapes naturally, use this method. It will allow you to prepare raisins quickly enough, in just 1-2 days.

The grapes need to be prepared - washed with cool water and allowed to drain off excess moisture.
The next step is to remove the fruit from the bunches and remove any spoiled grapes.
Next, prepare a solution for processing - use a teaspoon of baking soda per liter of boiling water. This mixture will thin the waxy coating on the berries and kill bacteria.
The grapes are soaked in the resulting liquid for 5-10 minutes, after which they are washed again with water and dried well.
Then the berries are placed on a baking sheet with parchment paper and dried in the oven until ready. The optimal temperature is 50-60⁰C. From time to time, it is advisable to open the oven door slightly to allow excess moisture to escape.

About

How to know when raisins are ready

The readiness of raisins is determined by the water content in them; to do this, simply squeeze or press the berries with your fingers. If the raisins are dried perfectly, no juice will leak out of them.

Electric grape dryer

It can be stored for as long as possible, during which it will not lose its necessary properties and taste. The product will become truly tasty if drying is carried out according to all the rules, regardless of the chosen method.

Storage and use

Raisins contain a lot of natural sugar and are on the list of the most commonly consumed dried fruits; they can be eaten either alone or with any other foods. Most often it is used in sweets and baked goods, compotes are made from it, and other drinks are prepared from it.

When fully stored, it can last in the closet for several months and even years, since it does not require compliance with difficult conditions and is quite unpretentious.

It is best to store it in linen bags on shelves in any dry premises. The fabric will allow air to pass through well and the raisins will retain their properties. Glass containers are also often used for storage, which do not need to be sealed. It is enough to cover the jars with gauze or make nylon lids.

For reference! Raisins will not lose their properties in the refrigerator if you transfer them to plastic containers and place them on shelves or wrap them in bags with holes made in the film.

There are a large number of options for preparing raisins; you should choose for yourself the one that is most feasible under specific conditions. The time spent will be compensated by receiving nutritious and very healthy dried fruit.

Recipes for the table and for treatment

The benefits of raisins for the human body have been proven; now you need to understand how to properly use this product. In order for the beneficial substances to be preserved as much as possible, it is better not to subject raisins to long-term heat treatment. Add it to porridge and fruit pilaf at the very end of cooking. When cooking compote, first put the fruits that need to cook for a long time into the pan, and a few minutes before the end of cooking, throw in the dried grapes. If your child doesn’t want to eat cottage cheese or rice, throw a few berries on the plate and the food will immediately become tastier.

If the child refuses to eat, make a figurine of a snowman, duck or other animal out of thick porridge, decorate it with raisins, and the baby will immediately develop an appetite.

Raisins will improve the patient’s well-being in any case. If you want to make the treatment more active, use traditional medicine recipes.

Pour 100 g of raisins with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for 10 minutes. Drain the liquid, add 1 tbsp. spoon of onion juice and drink 100g three times a day before meals.

For 8 parts of prunes, take 2 parts of dried apricots, raisins and cholosas and 1 part of hay. Grind everything, add 1 part honey and consume 1 tbsp morning and evening. spoon.

Steam a handful of raisins in boiling water for 5 minutes, then chop and add 1 tbsp. spoon of sour cream and honey. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.

Any dried fruits are good for the body; they supply a person with useful substances during the winter. The champion in the range and quantity of useful components is raisins; they are necessary for the heart, blood vessels and other organs. The benefit of raisins for men is the ability to prolong the period of sexual activity, and for women - in helping the body during pregnancy and lactation. It is better to choose black varieties, they have more vitamins and antioxidants. Think about which dishes can replace some of the sugar with dry grapes, and feed your family healthy food.

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