Sultanas, currants and raisins?

black-saturn

Can anyone tell me the difference between sultanas and raisins? I thought they were both dried grapes?

headcovers

Raisins are dried white grapes usually of the variety 'Muscatel'. The main producers are the USA, Turkey, Greece and Australia.

Sultanas are small raisins. They are seedless, sweet, pale golden in colour and come mainly from Turkey.

Currants are dried, black, seedless grapes originally produced in Greece. They were known as 'raisins of the sun'

black-saturn

Thankyou. You learn something new every day.

thriftlady_2

I thought sultanas were dried white grapes and raisins dried black grapes - not so??

nickiboop

Whats the difference they alll seem to taste the same!

I am aiming to cook my christmas cake this weekend and the recipie contains all 3 can I just use raisins and increase the amount instead?

thriftlady_2

They are all dried grapes. I think sultanas are white grapes and raisins black grapes. I'm not sure about currants but think they're a small variety of grape. I actually think they taste quite different from each other

You can certainly use all one kind for a cake, or sub some chopped dried apricots, peel, candied cherries etc.

MATH

For cooking I just chuck in whatever is at hand but by the handful they do taste quite different. Apparently if you eat them directly from the packet while the food mixer is running they have no calories, it's something to do with the mixer twisting the soundwaves in your kitchen which creates and energy vortex into which the calories are dragged into.;) I've maintained this theory for many years and often warn visitors to Chez MATH that there is a calorie black- hole behing the SodaStream, holding several years of excess scoffing.

odds-n-sods

raisins = black/red grapes
sultanas = white grapes
currants = blackcurrants!

they all taste different and you *should* use all three for a chirstmas cake if that's what the recipe calles for.

nickiboop

Will buy all different kinds and have a taste test!

I have never compared them before so they might indead taste quite different just that I have never realised

lolarentt

Different taste, different texture, different moisture content (so will affect liquidity of your mix if you omit some).

Stompa

odds-n-sods wrote: »

currants = blackcurrants!

I don't think that's the case:

http://www.driedfruit-info.com/about/driedfruits.html