Talk:Raisin

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[edit] Missing info

  • Are raisins individually plucked, i.e. removed from the stem or has the industry invented some form of machinery to automate this rather tedious job if must be done by hand? Anonymous

[edit] Clean-up

I've just removed:

==Raisin in other languages== *In the [[French]] language, raisin refers to any kind of grape.

I might be wrong about this, in which case do replace it, but English is full of words that mean similar but slightly different things in other languages; that doesn't seem encyclopædic to me. Mel Etitis (Μελ Ετητης) 21:48, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Sultanas, raisins, currants.

Here in the UK, I can go to any supermarket's home-baking section and buy three generic types of dried grape: raisins, currants and sultanas. Clearly, these three are all distinct from a UK perspective. However, I've seen currants called sultanas, sultanas called raisins, raisins called currants and so on. A clear distinction needs to be made, and a systematic, unambigous listing of what people worldwide are referring to when they say "sultana", "currant" or "raisin" in reference to dried grapes. Some example sources:

I don't think that this is due to cultural differences; it's more that they all are so similar to each other that there's not a consistent labelling for them worldwide. It's simply that in the UK there may be an emphasis on correct categorization. I mean, in the supermarkets in the UK there are something like 10 different varieties of sugar (muscovado light/dark, demerara light/dark, etc). In the US there are only 3: sugar, dark brown sugar, and light brown sugar. In Italy they don't differentiate between broccoli and cauliflower; they call both broccoli, which can lead to some confusion. I think the current categorization is fairly accurate, and I recommend against keeping the "worldview" notice. FunnyYetTasty 10:04, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

195.173.23.111 11:44, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

I don't mind your edit, since it is particular to your region, and it is frankly not that important to me. But you are incorrect that a "raisin" is a red grape and "sultana" is a white or green grape. They are both raisins, just like the grapes used to produce both of them are grapes. (Currants are a bit different, but I digress...) Cheers.

Until only quite recently I never knew that there were those who use the term raisin to refer to sultanas and currents. So there's your Australian perspective. In Australian English the term raisin does not apply to sultanas and currents. If it is the same in the UK & NZ, then perhaps what we're looking at here is a North American English verses non-North American English. Jimp 06:07, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

The page as it stands is clearly incorrect from a UK perspective, where currants are small, raisins are dark, and sultanas light and perhaps somewhat sweeter in taste. A picture of a dark raisin would be globally correct I believe. A picture of a light coloured sultana certainly is not. Djp (talk) 13:05, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Why they don't go off

Does anybody have an idea why raisins don't "go bad" without any preservatives?

Yes, lots of sugar and very little water are self preservative qualities of grapes and other dried fruits. High sugar concentration is toxic for most micro organisms like bacteria so these babies won't easily rot. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Askewr (talk • contribs) 17:02, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Commercial edit..

I don't really feel experienced enough to intervene, but I think someone needs to do some damage control for the "AMAZIN' RAISINS" stuff which has to have been put there by a company person. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.123.91.242 (talk) 03:33, 30 January 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Raisin Sugar Data

The nutrition table in the article shows a sugar content of 59g per 100g but the text indicates raisins are 90% sugar by weight (or 90g per 100g). If both are true, I think there should be an explanation. —Preceding comment entered by WH.

I have updated the sugar information with a number of 60%. The 90% number is most definitely out of the ball park. I also removed the claim of half fructose and half glucose and replaced it with "mostly glucose". According to raisins.org (since another source is not cited for this number) raisins are "70% glucose by weight." I am not sure if this is correct since it does not mesh with the USDA numbers of 60% sugar, but it is closer to a factual claim than half and half.

--Ahsile 22:25, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Rehydration

What do you call a raisin after you rehydrate it, is it still called a raisin or does it go back to being a grape?Jay the Despicable 02:55, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] History

I find it hard to believe Mr. Eisen invented the raisin industry by accidentally drying some grapes given that, for example, the article on the game Snap-Dragon linked herein has quotations mentioning them back around 1810. Possibly he was the first large-scale industrial producer of them or somesuch, but that's not the same thing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.241.224.123 (talk) 22:01, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

You are quite correct. I don't have time to write a proper history section, but I have removed the bogus history provided. A little research will show that raisins were known at least as far back as the Roman era, and even possibly to the Phoenicians and Egyptians. The stories we were told as children about being left out in the sun accidentally in California are purely marketing. Ahsile 14:40, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] The word for "raisin" in various cultures and /or languages

In the list of areas of the world where raisin are produced someone changed India to read "India(Kishmis)". It turns out that Kishmis is either the name for "raisin" in India or may be a style of raisin found there. It does bring up that different cultures may use a different term(s) for raisins (the "dried vine fruit discussion for example) and I'm wondering if that should be included in the article. I know some articles have a section where they have a language code, colon, and then the translation. Unfortunately, I don't know which of the Indian languages uses "Kishmis". Marc Kupper (talk) (contribs) 00:12, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't object as long as it was sourced and had valid information. The last few edits of this sort have only added vague information which, IMO, doesn't add value to the article. Ahsile (talk) 16:46, 7 May 2008 (UTC)