As a dried fruit, raisins may sometimes seem a little too dry to eat as a snack or to use in certain pastries and fresh dishes. The process of puffing the raisins will enhance their flavor while making them softer and more juicy.
Ingredients
Produces 1 serving
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) raisins
- Liquid: water, juice, or alcohol, up to 1 cup (250 ml)
Step
Method 1 of 4: Using the Stove
Step 1. Put the raisins and the liquid you used in a small saucepan
Put the raisins in a small saucepan. Also pour water into the pot, using just enough until the raisins are fully submerged.
Water can work well as a top choice, but for something more flavorful, experiment with other liquids. For example, consider trying grape juice, orange juice, or other fruit juices. For a more mature palette, consider slightly diluted wine or rum
Step 2. Boil the mixture
Place the pot on the stove over high heat. Heat until the liquid begins to boil, then immediately remove the pan from the heat.
Step 3. Leave it for 5 minutes
Cover the pot with a lid and set aside at room temperature. Let the raisins soak in the hot liquid for a full 5 minutes.
Step 4. Drain the raisins
Pour excess liquid from the pan or remove the raisins from the pan using a slotted spoon. How you do it, you just need to lift the raisins that have bulged from the liquid.
- You can drain the liquid by pouring the contents of the pot into a small strainer. Alternatively, place the lid on the pot, and leave a gap of 0.6 cm between the pot and the lid on one side. Pour the liquid out through this slit, being careful not to get carried away with the raisins.
- If you want the raisins to dry out a bit after you puff them up, spread the raisins on several layers of clean paper towels. The paper towels will absorb the excess fluid.
Step 5. Use as desired
The raisins should be puffed up and ready to be enjoyed now.
Method 2 of 4: Using the Microwave
Step 1. Arrange the raisins in a microwave-safe container
Place the raisins in a microwave-safe dish or bowl, and spread them out to lay flat in a single layer.
The raisins should be in a single layer instead of on top of each other. Keeping the raisins in a single layer will ensure they absorb water more evenly during the heating process
Step 2. Flush the raisins with water
For every 1 cup (250 ml) of raisins, pour 1 tbsp (15 ml) of water over it. Spread the water as evenly as possible.
Step 3. Microwave for 30 to 60 seconds
Cover the container and heat the raisins in the microwave on high until the raisins appear to absorb water.
- If the container has a lid, make sure the lid is also microwave-safe before using it. For containers that don't have microwave-safe lids, consider wrapping the loose container with plastic wrap or paper towels.
- Keep the container slightly open on one side to prevent pressure from accumulating inside.
- Note that the liquid will not be completely absorbed when you remove the container from the microwave. The raisins should start to look bloated, but the rest of the absorption will occur when the raisins are resting.
Step 4. Silence
Stir in the heated raisins and place the lid back on. After that, let stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes.
If you prefer the raisins to be slightly dry, pat gently with a paper towel after the raisins have absorbed the liquid and cooled
Step 5. Use raisins
By the time you reach this step, the raisins should be more puffy and ready to be enjoyed on their own or used in other recipes.
Method 3 of 4: Using Kettles
Step 1. Bring the water to a boil
Fill a tea kettle with 1 cup (250 ml) or more of water and place it on the stove. Heat over high heat until the water starts to boil.
- Water is the most common choice for this method, but you can experiment with other liquids for a more flavorful alternative. Grape juice can enhance the flavor of raisins with their natural flavor, but other fruit juices, such as orange juice or apple juice, can add depth to the flavor and complexity. Alcohol, such as wine or rum, can also be used.
- Instead of using a traditional kettle, you can heat the water with an electric kettle or a small saucepan, if you prefer.
Step 2. Mix the raisins and boiling water
Place the raisins in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them, making sure the raisins remain completely submerged.
Step 3. Soak for 5 to 10 minutes
Let the raisins sit in the hot water as long as possible, or until they reach the size or level of puffiness you want.
Step 4. Drain
Remove the raisins using a spoon or pour them through a small sieve to separate them from the liquid.
It may be a good idea to remove excess liquid from the surface of the raisins by spreading the raisins on a clean paper towel. Gently pat the raisins dry using an extra paper towel to dry them more thoroughly, if desired
Step 5. Enjoy or use raisins as desired
At this stage, the raisins should be puffy, juicy and soft. You can eat them straight away or use them in recipes that will benefit from puffed raisins.
Method 4 of 4: Using Cold Bath
Step 1. Mix water and alcohol in equal proportions
Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water into a bowl, followed by 1/4 cup (60 ml) of wine or alcohol of your choice. Mix gently until combined.
- Although this method is called the "cold soak," the water and alcohol must be at room temperature. Do not refrigerate them before use.
- This method is called a "cold soak" simply because no heat is used.
- Note that you will need to use some form of alcohol for this method if you want the process to be as effective as possible. However, wine isn't the only alcoholic liquid you can use. For something a little less sweet, consider using rum instead.
Step 2. Add raisins
Pour the raisins into a bowl of diluted alcohol, making sure the raisins are completely submerged in the liquid.
Step 3. Soak for 30 minutes
Let the raisins soak in the mixture for a full 30 minutes without interruption.
Make sure the raisins are submerged in the mixture at room temperature. Do not chill in the refrigerator or heat it during this time
Step 4. Drain
Remove the raisins from the alcohol using a slotted spoon. Raisins should be very bloated at this stage. Squeeze the raisins gently with your fingers to remove excess liquid, if desired.
- If you don't have a slotted spoon, you can pour the contents of the container through a small strainer, instead. Discard the liquid and hold the raisins.
- Consider removing excess liquid from the surface of the raisins by pressing down on the raisins with a clean paper towel or letting them sit on a clean paper towel for a few minutes.
Step 5. Eat or use raisins as desired
Raisins should be more puffy and voluminous than before. You can eat raisins alone or use them in other dishes.
What you need
Using the Stove
- Small pot
- Slotted spoon OR small sieve
- Tissue
Using the Microwave
- Microwave resistant container
- Microwave-resistant plastic wrap OR similar cover
- Spoon
- Tissue
Using Kettles
- Kettle OR electric kettle OR small pot
- Small bowl
- Slotted spoon OR small sieve
- Tissue
Using Cold Soak
- Small bowl
- Spoon
- Slotted spoon OR small sieve
- Tissue
