Raisin
Raisins are dried grapes, concentrated in sugar and chewy in texture, used in baking, snacking, and both sweet and savory dishes across many cuisines.
How to buy
Look for plump, slightly glossy raisins without excessive stickiness, clumping, or a crust of crystallized sugar on the outside, which signals age. Golden raisins are lighter and tarter, dark raisins are deeper and more molasses-like, and Zante currants (not true currants) are smaller and more tart -- choose based on what the recipe calls for, and avoid raisins that feel hard or leathery.
How to store
Keep in an airtight container in a cool pantry for a few months, or refrigerate or freeze for longer storage, especially in warm or humid climates where they're more prone to drying out further or attracting pantry moths. Dried-out raisins can usually be revived by soaking briefly in warm water, juice, or liquor.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Concentrated, tangy-sweet grape flavor with caramel notes developed during drying. Golden raisins taste brighter and more tart, while dark raisins taste deeper and more molasses-like.
- Texture
- Chewy and dense; plumps and softens considerably when soaked in liquid, but can turn hard and leathery if left exposed to air for too long.
- Aroma
- A sweet, faintly winey aroma from the concentrated sugars left behind after drying.
How to prepare
- Plumped — Soaked in water, juice, or liquor to soften and swell before baking or mixing in.
- Baked into dough — Folded into bread, cookie, or cake batters for pockets of chewy sweetness.
- Simmered into sauce — Cooked into chutneys or pan sauces, where their sweetness balances savory or spiced flavors.
- Ground into paste — Blended into a paste for fillings like rugelach or traditional mincemeat.
Classic dishes
American
- Raisin bread — Yeasted bread studded with raisins, often swirled with cinnamon.
- Oatmeal raisin cookies — Chewy oat cookies with raisins folded throughout the dough.
- Rum raisin ice cream — Vanilla ice cream churned with rum-soaked raisins for pockets of boozy sweetness.
- Rugelach — Rolled pastry cookies often filled with a raisin-studded cinnamon or fruit paste.
Italian
- Panettone — An Italian Christmas bread enriched with raisins and candied citrus.
- Cassata siciliana — A Sicilian sponge cake layered with sweetened ricotta often studded with raisins.
Indian
- Biryani with raisins — Spiced layered rice where fried raisins add sweet contrast to the savory meat and spices.
- Carrot halwa — A sweet, slow-cooked carrot dessert often finished with raisins and nuts fried in ghee.
Spanish
- Empanada de picadillo — A savory pastry filled with spiced ground meat, olives, and raisins.
Middle Eastern
- Lamb tagine with raisins — A slow-braised Moroccan stew where raisins add bursts of sweetness against savory, spiced lamb.
- Jeweled rice — A festive Persian-style rice studded with raisins, nuts, and other dried fruit.
German
- Stollen — A dense German Christmas bread studded with raisins, candied fruit, and marzipan.
British & Irish
- Christmas pudding — A steamed, spiced pudding packed with raisins and other dried fruit, aged before serving.
- Hot cross buns — Spiced, slightly sweet buns studded with raisins and marked with a cross.
- Mincemeat pie — A sweet, spiced pie filled with raisins and other dried fruit cooked down with suet or butter.
- Raisin scones — Buttery scones studded with raisins, served with tea.