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INGREDIENTS
Sun-dried sweetness
RAISI NS, TH E POPU LAR, SWE ET I NGR EDI E NTS, AR E NOW AVAI LABLE A S CONCE NTRATE OR
PA ST E A S W E LL, ADDI NG TO TH E I R AT TRACT IVE N E S S
Few foods are as easy to use, or as versatile, as the
humble California Raisin. From the most common use
as a baking ingredient, to using California Raisins as a 100%
natural sweetener, colorant or flavor enhancer, their quality
remains consistently high all year round. California grows
the highest quality raisins. They have a great history in baking, and now there is California Raisin Paste and California
Raisin Juice Concentrate, which offer even more benefits.
Relatively new and unknown, raisin paste or juice concentrate, made solely from 100% natural California Raisins, will
not only add flavor, color and texture, but can also significantly extend shelf life. Both the juice concentrate and paste
contain propionic acid, a natural preservative, inhibiting
mould and slowing the staling process to keep breads, muffins and cookies fresher for longer.
+
Research has shown that when added to cookie dough at
12 % of flour content; the shelf life is extended by over 30 %,
with little or no affect to color or taste. The paste can also be
used as a fat replacer, and added to dough to significantly
reduce the amount of fat in the final product. It can be added to replace butter, margarine or oil, as well as gums and
modified starches.
To create the paste the fruit is extruded through a fine mesh
and the coarseness or smoothness is determined by applying
different grinding conditions. The paste is pliable and will
remain soft during storage, and the sugar levels mean that it
will remain stable.
BAKING+BISCUIT ISSUE 05 2006
California Raisin juice concentrate can also add flavor and
color to bakery products, as well as having nutritional benefits and extending shelf life. This juice concentrate is a pure
extract of California Raisins. It is prepared by soaking raisins with water over several stages to produce the juice. The
liquid is evaporated in a vacuum pan to obtain the concentrate, which again is self-preserving. The concentrate contains a minimum of 70 % natural fruit soluble solids. No
sugar, preservatives or other ingredients are added during
the process.
When California Raisins are converted into a paste or juice
concentrate, none of their natural goodness is lost, including protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A and
some B-vitamins.
California Raisins therefore offer a number of attributes
that are beneficial to a wide variety of bakery products.
+ Natural sweetness – enables formulation of products with
less sugar added
• Flavor enhancement – suitable for products ranging from
low sodium to spicy foods
• Versatile – adds texture, color and flavor, can be very fine
in color and smooth or can be obtained as a coarser paste
• Naturally healthy – nutritional constituents contained in
California Raisins make them appealing to health and diet
conscious consumers
• Natural preservative – California Raisin products inhibit
mould formation and extend shelf life. +++
INGREDIENTS
When is a raisin not a raisin?
When it’s a sultana, for years people
have often confused the two, it’s fair
to say that they are both dried grapes
but that is where the similarities end.
In reality it’s like comparing a Cox apple with a Golden Delicious.
California is the world’s largest producer of raisins. California raisins are
produced from the Thompson seedless grape, in fact the California raisin was ‚invented’ by William Thompson in 1876 when he crossed the Lady
de Coverley grape with other varieties to produce a seedless grape, perfect for producing raisins.
As the term suggests, sun dried California raisins use natural sunlight to
produce raisins and take up to 3
weeks in the hot California sun to
produce what is commonly referred
to as a Maillard effect. During sun
drying the skin of the raisin acts as a
“cooking vessel” retaining the juices
inside and helps convert some of the
sugars to primary elements.
Apart from an obvious distinction in
color, California raisins are known for
their dark, rich taste making them
ideal for a whole range of applications from snacking, through baking,
sauces, fine dining and even beer.
Sultanas also belong to the grapevine family (Vitaceae) and are native
to the Caspian Sea, Turkey is the
world’s largest producer of sultanas.
Sultanas are often referred to as
“White Raisins”, the sultana differs
from the true raisin in two ways. Firstly and most apparent, it is much lighter in color, although the color ranges
from very light to dark brown, but
more importantly, it undergoes a different drying process.
Increasingly Thompson seedless
grapes have been grown to produce
seedless sultanas. During the drying
process the mature grapes are dipped
in a potash solution making the skins
supple and also helps reduce the drying process. The drying period for
sultanas lasts approximately 1 week
as opposed to around 3 weeks to produce a raisin. Sultanas tend to be
slightly sweeter than raisins quite
simply because the effects of sun
drying are much less pronounced.
Often sultanas and raisins are confused with each other, some people
actually refer to them as‚ sultana raisins’ adding to the existing confusion. +++
Please visit us: IBA München, 3.–9.10.2006, Hall A4, Stand 109/308
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