Raisins

[kimmyb72]

oh how i despise these shriveled up grapes. they pop up in everything. bran flakes are fine by themselves, why bother putting in raisins? and those yummy breakfast buns from the bakery... with the icing on top, they look so delicious, so tempting. you bite into one and all of a sudden you feel a wrinkly little varmint swimming around in your mouth. there's no need for it i tell you!!! today is the worst, st patrick's day. that fluffy warm soda bread. looks so good until you realize something's amiss. that perfect crust browned to perfection has little bumps all over it. you move in for a closer look and (gasp!) it's the raisins, they have invaded that luscious irish soda bread! i must admit that i cut off an end, it was still warm. i picked out every one of those buggers and ate a full square inch of the bread. anyway i just felt compelled to write and share my hatred of raisins. please feel free to share your thoughts on them.

[nessa]

I love em, and hate em. Depends on what they are in, for me. Please, leave them out of cinnamon rolls and oatmeal cookies. I love them in soda bread. For me, I don't like them in things that are supposed to be really sweet. Usually. Nothing peeves me more though, than to bite into something you thought had chocolate chips in them, just to realize they are just a plain old raisins.

[kimmyb72]

i forgot to say that my grandmother used to put them in meatballs. where she got that idea from i will never know.

[ellencho]

My aversion to raisins has nothing to do with the taste really, it's more a visual issue. When I was twelve or so, my family received a copy of National Geographic with a Bog Man from England on the cover. His body had been found somewhere a bog in the UK and his entire body had been preserved in that acidic/brackish environment for hundredes of years. His hair had been bleached bright red, and his skin was black like tar, and was dried out like a raisin. From that day on I could never eat another black raisin. However, I enjoy sultanas - those yellow raisins. They're fine as part of a dish, but I'd never eat a handful of them as a snack.

Lastly, I have a question about sultanas. After watching Unwrapped on food network, they showed a vineyard where the grapes are raised to become raisins. The grapes were Thompson greens but yielded black raisins. I always assumed that black raisins came from purple or reddish grapes. What sort of grapes do they use to make sultanas?

[srhcb]

However, I enjoy sultanas - those yellow raisins. They're fine as part of a dish, but I'd never eat a handful of them as a snack.

Lastly, I have a question about sultanas. After watching Unwrapped on food network, they showed a vineyard where the grapes are raised to become raisins. The grapes were Thompson greens but yielded black raisins.  I always assumed that black raisins came from purple or reddish grapes. What sort of grapes do they use to make sultanas?

Raisens, sultanas and currents are similar, but technically not the same thing:

http://greekproducts.com/greekproducts/raisins.html

SB (likes them all)

[denise_jer]

I am so glad I'm not the only one! I thought I was a freak or something...

Once in a while, I will eat a little box of them, but for some reason, I can not stand them popping up in my other food. And I don't think I can even give a good reason why, I just really don't like it.

I agree though, that the sultanas are less offensive to me for some reason. I won't go out of my way to pick them out, but if they fall off my fork, I don't chase them down either!

[Verjuice]

I loathe them. They remind me of compressed, dehydrated little boogers. Horrible! Oh, how my heart sinks when I find them blinking up at me from a slice of apple pie, a brownie, a cinnamon roll, hot cereal, pilaf and other rice dishes, any sort of quick bread...

HOWEVER, I recently discovered organic Monnuka raisins, which I actually enjoy in trail mix (and only in trail mix!). They are quite large, and they have the taste and texture of small dates.

Edited March 17, 2004 by Verjuice (log)

[Adam Balic]

Lastly, I have a question about sultanas. After watching Unwrapped on food network, they showed a vineyard where the grapes are raised to become raisins. The grapes were Thompson greens but yielded black raisins. I always assumed that black raisins came from purple or reddish grapes. What sort of grapes do they use to make sultanas?

'Sultana' and 'Thompson seedless' are the same variety of grape, the later is hormone treated (nothing to worry about) to give you bigger/longer grapes.

Sultanas are made from sultana and related grapes, you get variation in the colour due to production differences. One upon a time the wax of the grapes was mechanically removed, now it is often removed with detergents, the former method gives you darker sultanas, that later the more 'golden' types. Anti-oxidents will give you give you a less dark coloured sultana.

Raisins was once a general term for dried grapes, but the names now tend to reflect the type of grapes used (Sultana, currant (= Raisins of Corinth), Muscatels etc).

[SobaAddict70]

They're useful (or essential) for certain Sicilian specialties like pasta con le sarde and also in Filipino food (i.e., embutido (meatloaf, stuffed with carrots, hardboiled eggs, Filipino chorizo and raisins) and menudo (beef, tomato, carrots, chickpeas and raisin casserole)).

That's ok, more for me!

Soba

[Anna N]

...

That's ok, more for me!

Soba

And Me! What? life without rum n' raisin ice cream, butter tarts, Cadbury's Fruit and Nut bars...the list is endless.

[ms. victoria]

I currently (no pun intended) live and cook for a raisin hater, but she loves currant scones. Me, I like raisins, currants and sultanas and add them where others fear to tread.

[aliaseater]

Nothing peeves me more though, than to bite into something you thought had chocolate chips in them, just to realize they are just a plain old raisins.

Nothing peeves me more than buying a nice breakfast muffin and finding it chock full of choco-chips!

I was raised to believe that chocolate chips belong in cookies or brownies and these are eaten for desert. One does not eat desert at breakfast, this is simply an unhealthy an decadent way to start your day!

Toasted raisin bread, on the other hand, is a fine and healthy start, providing a mini serving of dried fried, thus helping you to avoid the neccessity of partaking of those dreadful prunes!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Took me a very long time to fully appreciate a raisin and what it could be if it had reached its fullest 'potential' ... used it in a reconstituted form in my cooking ... dried and shriveled, as they come from the package isn't particularly appealing ... neither aesthetically nor mouthfeel-wise ...

"Revelation" came with a recent purchase from Trader Joe's while in California ... these were huge, sweet, chewy, moist golden raisins which I found could be enjoyed either simply by nibbling straight from the package (and I must ration them until I find a proper replacement!) ... or by "plumping" them in white wine to use in recipes! Absolutely incredible! Tart-sweet ...

[Ovenfrenzy]

It is a loathing of raisins that has kept me suspicious of Morroccan cuisine- how could you even think of eating meat and raisins together? Then they put the two together in a pie and dust powdered sugar on the whole thing. Gag. In general, raisins just strike me wrong with their dry chewy texture and cloying flavor. The only time I enjoyed eating them was in a slice of Sour Cream Raisin Pie made by my mother-in-law. It was so so good- quivering rich gentle custard dotted with plump raisins, fluffy meringue on top...It was good enough for a die-hard raisin hater to try it and love it. But I still can't stand 'em any other way!

[Adam Balic]

It is a loathing of raisins that has kept me suspicious of Morroccan cuisine- how could you even think of eating meat and raisins together? Then they put the two together in a pie and dust powdered sugar on the whole thing. Gag. In general, raisins just strike me wrong with their dry chewy texture and cloying flavor. The only time I enjoyed eating them was in a slice of Sour Cream Raisin Pie made by my mother-in-law. It was so so good- quivering rich gentle custard dotted with plump raisins, fluffy meringue on top...It was good enough for a die-hard raisin hater to try it and love it. But I still can't stand 'em any other way!

Yes I know what you mean. I don't like marshmallows at all so I don't touch any American cuisine.

[Gifted Gourmet]

quivering rich gentle custard dotted with plump raisins, fluffy meringue on top...

Like I said, "plump" is the operative word here ...

Maybe not good in obesity-conscious America, but "plump" has other virtues ...

[formerly grueldelux]

It is a loathing of raisins that has kept me suspicious of Morroccan cuisine- how could you even think of eating meat and raisins together? Then they put the two together in a pie and dust powdered sugar on the whole thing. Gag.

I have to agree with you on this one. I'm a fan of raisins in general, and I try to keep an open mind, but I just don't want gorp in my stew.

-michael

[nixienox]

There's a desert the aussies call fly cemetaries. I've never had it but I can certainly picture it with the flies, I mean raisins all lined up.

Actually I like raisins.

[Jensen]

And Me! What? life without rum n' raisin ice cream, butter tarts, Cadbury's Fruit and Nut bars...the list is endless.

Nahhh. The list has only one item ... butter tarts. They are the raisin's raison d'etre.

[tryska]

My aversion to raisins has nothing to do with the taste really, it's more a visual issue. When I was twelve or so, my family received a copy of National Geographic with a Bog Man from England on the cover. His body had been found somewhere a bog in the UK and his entire body had been preserved in that acidic/brackish environment for hundredes of years. His hair had been bleached bright red, and his skin was black like tar, and was dried out like a raisin. From that day on I could never eat another black raisin. However, I enjoy sultanas - those yellow raisins. They're fine as part of a dish, but I'd never eat a handful of them as a snack.

Lastly, I have a question about sultanas. After watching Unwrapped on food network, they showed a vineyard where the grapes are raised to become raisins. The grapes were Thompson greens but yielded black raisins. I always assumed that black raisins came from purple or reddish grapes. What sort of grapes do they use to make sultanas?

I remember the bogman! never connected him with raisins tho.

I'm picky about where i want raisins to be. Love them in cereal with cold milk, do not want them in any sort of savory dish or pastry/bread product. or rice pudding or bread pudding.

sultanas on the other hand are great in warm applications. (still not in savory tho, please.)

[Gifted Gourmet]

There's a desert the aussies call fly cemetaries.

Our version of "ants on a log" made in every American kindergarten ...

[tryska]

ooh and i second the cadbusry fruit and nut bar application. as well as in chunkys. pretty much any sort of chocolate and raisin combo is aceptable.

and yogurt covered raisins are good too.

[JAZ]

Here's what I think about the subject:

The Eternal Raisin Debate

and the follow-up thread:

more about raisins

[Jinmyo]

Raisins are the Devil's ear wax.

[Tmnoland]

OH, don’t even get me started on raisins in my rice pudding.

It’s wrong I tells ya! All that nice, rich, creamy goodness

adulterated by little, brown, slimy blobs.

Kimmy for president!!

--therese