Preparing the raisins in a dehydrator is a simple, cost-effective and fun method for the storage and snacking. You can quickly cook it in your kitchen. The transformation of grapes into the delicious dried raisins should get prepared when you have this fruit in raw form and abundance amount.
Dehydrating the grapes for making raisins in very easy and you can add to the many recipes for enhancing the flavor. It provides a natural touch of sweetness to the dishes along with the delightful chewy texture. While preparing the raisins at home, you will feel that the homemade raisins are plumper and have delicious flavor in comparison to the store bought raisins.
But do you know how to make raisins in a dehydrator?
It is quite easy to make raisins in a dehydrator with the help of a few steps and guide. In the below article, we will explain to you about the right way to prepare raisins in a dehydrator, so that you can astonish your family and friends with this outstanding homemade snack.
So, continue reading to know further!
List of Things Required for Making Raisins in a Dehydrator
The below are a few essential things that you need for making raisins in a dehydrator:
- Food dehydrator
- Grapes
- Colander
- Pot
- Cool Water
- Water for boiling
- Citric acid
- Airtight container
Step by Step Instructions for Making Raisins in a Dehydrator
Below are the step by step instructions for making raisins in a dehydrator:
Step 1: Prepare the grapes
Put the grapes inside the colander. Now wash and rinse them with the help of the cold water. Discard the grapes that are spoiled and don’t forget to remove the stems of the grapes also.
Step 2: Boil the water
Now, fill the water in the 4-quart pot and boil it. Put the grapes in the water for around 30 seconds and then take them out. During this procedure, the skin of the grapes will get crack, and it will benefit in the simple dehydration of the fruit.
Step 3: Stir the mixture
Take 2 quarts of cold water and fill it in the big-size bowl along with the two teaspoons of citric acid. Stir the mixture perfectly.
Step 4: Put grapes in citric acid solution
Put the boiled grapes in the big size bowl and for around 10 minutes mix them inside the water. The treatment of grapes inside the liquid of citric acid enhances the quality of the raisins.
Step 5: Put the raisins/grapes in the dehydrator
After draining the grapes, put them over the trays of the food dehydrator without overlapping each other. They should place in a single layer.
Step 6: Set the temperature of the dehydrator
Put the trays in the dehydrator and set its temperature between 120 degrees F to 140 degrees F before turning it ON. You can also take help from the manual guide that you get along with your dehydrator to know the exact temperature for making the raisins in it.
Step 7: Start the drying process
You should leave the grapes in the dehydrator for around 24 hours so that they turn into raisins. After 24 hours, check the consistency of the grapes. You should continue the drying process of they are looking moist and check them after one hour to check of no amount of moisture is left behind in the middle of the grapes.
Step 8: Cool down the raisins
Take out the raisins from the food dehydrator machine and leave it on the trays for around one hour so that they cool down.
Step 9: Store the raisins properly
Now store the raisins in the airtight container or jar. The jar should keep at the dry and cool place where there is no moisture left.
Nutritional Facts And Info About the Raisins
The dried grapes or the raisins are also known as the fruits queen. They originate in the Mediterranean region and Europe and also famous for its healthy nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and polyphenolic antioxidants. You can include them in your diet as the dry fruits or in sweetened recipes. The below are few nutrients that you find in the raisins:
- Polyphenols, phytonutrients, and mainly phenols
- Vitamins like C, A, B6, and K
- Rich in niacin, folate, thiamine, and riboflavin
- Minerals like phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium
- High water content
- Flavonoids like myricetin and quercetin
- Reasonable quantity of antioxidants, protein, dietary fiber, and healthy carbs
Tips for Making Raisins in a Dehydrator
While making raisins in the dehydrator, there are few things that you should keep in your mind for better drying results:
1. Always check the grapes during the drying process after 6 to 8 hours gap for checking the speed of drying. You might add more fruits on the trays as the grapes will get shrink during the drying in size.
2. During the dehydration process, the water and juices will get released from the grapes that can make the fruit sticky due to the sweet juices coming out. You will find that the red grapes are getting stickier than the green color grapes. So, to evade the problem of sticking, you can shuffle the fruit after every 8 hours.
3. The red raisins shall be smaller in size in comparison to the green color grapes, even though they have a similar size before dehydrating. Few people love to consume green raisins due to its exclusive flavor.
4. To speed up the process of drying, you should increase the temperature of the machine to 145 degrees F for the early 12 hours period. But to avoid the problem of burning or the over drying decrease the temperature to 135 degrees F.
5. Some of you who are dehydrating the raisins for preserving it for the winters should store it in the vacuum sealer, airtight jar or the sealed bag. It can easily last for several months, and you don’t have to purchase the dried fruits in the winters from your market at all. Dehydrating the raisins at a low temperature for 48 hours increases the shelf life of the fruit more.
6. To check the doneness of the raisins, you only have to shut down the dehydrator and cool down the raisins for around 30 minutes to 1 hour before tasting them. You need to continue the drying process if they are under-dried.
7. The seedless grapes are the perfect choice for making the raisins in the dehydrator. There are several types and colors of grapes that you can find on the market.
8. One last tip is that the grapes possess a smooth skin that becomes more good of you blanched it in the hot water bowl. It will help in the escaping of the moisture in a better way from the skins of the grapes after getting blanched in hot water.
Conclusion
Raisins are the perfect convenient snack for outdoor adventurous activities like backpacking or camping. But you can also consume it while staying at home for the healthy boost that they offer. The raisins can be easily preserved for the more extended period of around 15 months and even more time if you store them correctly in the vacuum seal or the airtight jar.
We hope that after reading the above info now, you can easily make the healthy and nutritious rains in the dehydrator at your home for your whole family. It does not involve much hard work or effort. You don’t have to be a professional chef for making the raisins at home now.
Does the above info helpful for you? How was your experience of making raisins in a dehydrator? Please share with us your thoughts in the below comment box. We will reply to you as soon as we can.