Raisins & Dried Grapes

part of: Grape

Raisins are grapes that have been dried until their moisture content drops to around 15 per cent, concentrating their sugars into intensely sweet, chewy morsels. The term covers several types — natural raisins (sun-dried, dark brown), sultanas (from seedless white grapes, golden and softer), and currants (from small Black Corinth grapes) — though common usage often blurs the distinctions.

In Australian kitchens, raisins are a baking essential: fruit cakes, hot cross buns, muesli bars, scones, and biscuits all rely on them. They’re equally at home in savoury dishes, adding sweetness to Moroccan tagines, Indian biryanis, and salads with nuts and leafy greens.

Raisins keep well in the pantry for months, making them a reliable standby ingredient. Australia has a significant dried grape industry, centred in the Sunraysia region of Victoria and New South Wales.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Ripe grapes are harvested and laid out on drying racks or trays, either in the sun or in temperature-controlled drying facilities. Sun drying takes two to three weeks, during which the grapes shrink and darken as moisture evaporates and sugars concentrate. Some varieties are treated with sulphur dioxide to preserve a lighter colour (as with sultanas). After drying, the fruit is cleaned, sorted for quality, and may be lightly oiled to prevent clumping before packaging.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 306kcal
Protein 2.1g
Carbs 74.4g
Fat 0.9g
Fibre 2.2g Sugar 74.1g
Mass Distribution

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon 1.23kg
Freshwater 19.4L
Land 89.6m²

Where it comes from

Made from
Grape, fruit

In the kitchen

Used as

dried fruit sweetener

Goes well with
cinnamon walnut oat carrot rum
Classic dishes
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  • Carrot Cake
  • Moroccan Tagine
  • Bread Pudding

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

FSANZ

How it was calculated

Analysed

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

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