Sultanas, Raisins and Currants - What's the difference?
Customer asks "Do you sell raisins?" At that moment we had no stock of raisins, but we had currants and sultanas.
"Not at the moment," I replied "but we have some sultanas and some provincial currants, will either of them work?"
When her nose scrunches up and a look of disappointment spreads across her face to such an extent that it can be see over the top of a lock down face mask, I realise the difference between each of theses dried fruits must be significant. Well to some people the difference is almost palpable.
So what's the difference? I know they are all dried fruits. I also know they are all grapes. That's all I had.
Plus colours vary, as does size, so I assume the differences are borne from the type of grape and the amount of drying. I assume but I'm not sure.
So hello Mr G. Oogle what do you know?
My search revealed the following information (So how accurate it is we'll never know for sure?)...
Firstly currants, for the sake of the following, should not be confused with soft fruit currants. In this context currants are those small dark current that you find in traditional Eccles cakes.
Therefore G Oogle says:
| Sultanas | Raisins | Currants | |
| Grape Variety | Thompson. (White Seedless) | Muscat, Thompson, Lexia and Waltham Cross (White) | Small dark seedless grapes such as "Black Corinth" or "Carina" named after their Greek origins. |
| Size | Medium | Largest | Smallest |
| Taste | Sweet | Sweet | Tangy |
| Juiciness | High | Medium | Low |
| Colour | Brown / Light brown Golden Sultanas sometimes derive their colour from the preservative Sulphur Dioxide so read ingredients. | Dark Brown | Dark |
| Drying Time | Less than three weeks. Grapes are often coated with an oil solution (vegetable / sunflower) to speed up the drying process. Some sultanas imported from Australia are made without oil and are sometime called Natural sultanas. | Sundried for about three weeks. Some are dried in dehydrators. No additives or preservatives so are often a healthier alternative to Sultanas | About three weeks |
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| When to use? It's personal choice but suggestions: |
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With the aforementioned duly noted I am confident that my ability to bore a customer is assured when I am asked the question Sultanas, Raisins, Currants - What's the difference?