Sultanas…aka golden raisins. They usually are never organic and often have some sulphur or other chemical additive in the ingredient list. So, when the cull bin had some teeny Thompson seedless grapes staring up at me like an unwanted puppy, I quickly snatched the little lovelies into my bag and brought them home.
The next day I scoured the net for raisin making instructions and kept finding that boiling the grapes first, reduced drying time by 1/2. Cutting them in half further reduced their drying time. The cutting in half seemed legitimate but the boiling had me wondering if I could do something more than just boil them in plain ol’ water. Why not add some sugar, vinegar and spices…
Enjoy the pics, although they are few, and as always a recipe follows.
Spiced Sultanas
makes about 1/2 pint jar
- about 2-3 pounds of fresh Thomspon Seedless Grapes, washed and de-stemmed
- 5 cups of water
- 1/2 cup white wine or champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- Spice satchel: (3 cinnamon sticks, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns)
First make the brine by boiling the water, cider, sugar and spice satchel for about 1 minute. When a rolling boil is maintained, add the grapes and boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and drain in a colander. When cool enough to handle cut the grapes in half and place on a dehydrator.
Dehydrate at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 14-20 hours depending upon your dehydrator.
When dehydrated to your liking, remove and store in a sealed mason jar
