Homemade Raisins

For the past two weeks, I shared two of my favorite savory snacks with you that I like to make in my dehydrator: Spicy Turnip Chips & Homemade Kale Chips.  Today, I have my favorite sweet snack!  You might be thinking... raisins?  Really?  The little dried out things that come in tiny boxes for my kids?

Yes!

Freshly made raisins are ridiculously delicious and so simple too!  They are juicy and tender, and the dehydrating process really brings out the natural sweetness of the grapes.  Once again, there is very little preparation and hands-on time to make a huge amount of snacks.

I like to buy grapes on sale and make several batches because they keep so well.  Even better, I like to experiment with all kinds of grapes: red, green, black, white, and champagne.  They're all different and amazing, so you can find your favorite version.  Let's get to it!

Homemade Raisins
Adapted from my dehydrator product manual

Ingredients

• Grapes!

Directions

1.  Wash the grapes.  Remove the fruit from the stems after washing and rinse again.

2.  Optional: Blanch the grapes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds to reduce the dehydrating time.

3.  Optional:  You may remove the skins if you wish (especially if they start to slide off after blanching), but I like the extra fiber!

4.  Dry the grapes well or let stand for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.

5.  Arrange the grapes on the trays of your dehydrator, and dry according to your machine's directions.

6.  Make sure to check the raisins for appropriate dehydration by squeezing and/or trying one.  It may take up to 36 hours for your grapes to fully dry, especially if they were not blanched beforehand.

7.  Depending on your level of dryness, the raisins can last a long time if stored in an airtight container.

That's it!  I did not think about photographing my raisins when they were all done, but you can see how different all the colors turn out in the picture above.  So pretty!

As for flavor, the red, black, and green grapes all taste different.  As with grapes, some are more sour and some are super sweet.  The flavor just intensifies with the dehydration process.

This is by far the fruit that I dry the most in my dehydrator.  Sometimes I make them more plump and juicy and sometimes they are a little more dry and chewier.  Since the heat is so low, I usually leave the dehydrator overnight and find lovely treats waiting for me in the morning.  Let me know how you like making your own raisins.

Happy dehydrating!

You might also like...

Fig & Honeyed Goat Cheese Tartlettes

Simple Peanut Butter Banana Bites: 2 ways!

Skinny Peach Cheesecake

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase using one of the links, a small commission will go to support Vintage Zest.  I will only recommend sites with products that I think you will love and enjoy!