Raisins in the East are called grapes, which are dried with seeds. If the raisins are seedless, they are called raisins. With any method of drying grapes, ripe fruits of high quality are selected for the process, without signs of rotting and spoilage.
Alkaline drying of grapes
In order to dry the grapes to the state of raisins by the alkaline method, prepare a solution of 20 g of potash and 10 g of lime, diluted in a liter of water. Boil the solution, dip the grape clusters into it for 10 seconds. Then the grapes stewed in an alkaline solution must be washed under running water.
If possible, fumigate the grapes with sulfur in the place where you hang them to dry. For fumigation, you need 1 g of sulfur for every 3-4 kg of grapes. The grapes are hung by the bunches in attics, in shady, ventilated places. Trays are placed below. The dried raisins fall off the brushes on their own.
The best grape varieties for drying are all types of "Kishmish", also "Sultani, Muscat", "Ag raisin", "Rizamat", "Astrakhan early ripening" and others.
Homemade raisins in the dryer
Another most convenient way to get raisins from a small amount of grapes is to dry them in an electric dryer. This dryer prepares other dried fruits in a similar way. The preparation of grapes for the drying process is more simplified here.
The grapes must be separated from the large clusters. Blanch quickly (no more than 5 seconds) in boiling water and baking soda. For each liter of water, add 5 g of soda to obtain the desired solution. After scalding the grapes with a soda solution, quickly discard the berries in a colander and sprinkle them with cold water.
Arrange the grapes prepared in this way on the rack of the dryer. Turn on the machine and dry the berries according to the instructions. A grape is considered to be dried when all the moisture has gone out of it and the grapes are in the form of raisins.
How to make raisins in the sun?
In order to successfully cook raisins in the sun, you do not need to additionally resort to blanching the grapes before drying. But there is an important condition. The grapes need to be inspected for tainted or dirty berries that should be removed.
The peeled grapes are laid out in separate berries or on small clusters on trays, paper sheets, trellises and put to dry in direct sunlight in the summer. Turn the grapes every 3 days until they turn into raisins.
Two weeks before the grape harvest, if they want to get raisins from it, they reduce the amount of watering the vineyard.
Drying raisins in Central Asia
In the countries of Central Asia, in the East, raisins are dried most often using the shady method. For this purpose, grape bunches are not specially prepared for drying in solutions. They are hung in clay rooms with frequent ventilation holes.
The grapes in such a place are not damp, thanks to the holes, they are constantly blown with air. And the grapes are dried in the shade, while maintaining their natural color. This method of obtaining raisins is considered the most correct, preserving all the beneficial properties of berries. Sometimes, for greater preservation of dried fruits, grapes are fumigated with sulfur or sulfur wicks for an hour.
