Introduction:
California Raisin products are a 100% natural way for food formulators to impart the sweetness everyone loves without artificial or added sugar. Grown naturally in California by over 2000 family farmers, raisins are made from grapes sweetened only by the sun and have no added sugar or additional ingredients. Raisins add sweetness to products the way nature intended and therefore don’t count as ‘Added Sugar’ on package nutrition labels. In addition to naturally sun-dried raisins, raisin juice concentrate and raisin paste are functional ingredients available to food manufacturers that can extend shelf life, add color, texture and more. This little superfruit has many benefits that can play an important role in new product development. Please read below for more detailed product information.
Products:
The California Raisin industry offers a variety of products that are suitable for both consumer and industrial usage. The vast majority of the products offered are of the “Vitis vinifera” Natural Seedless varietal type and are typically dried by the sun, whether it is on paper trays or dried on the vine. Natural (Sun-Dried) seedless raisins include the Thompson seedless and other newer cultivars such as Selma Pete, Fiesta and DOVine. California Golden Seedless and California Dipped Seedless raisins are mechanically dried and processed. Other raisin varietal types include Zante Currant, Muscat, Monnuka, Sultana, and other Seedless. Raisins may also be further processed into Raisin Paste and Raisin Juice Concentrate.
California Raisins in Food Processing
California Raisins provide flavor, texture, and color to a wide variety of products. Their natural sweetness allows for reductions of the sugar levels in formulations, and their high water binding capacity helps to retain moisture in bakery products. Based on their numerous attributes, raisins are adaptable to a variety of other manufactured products appealing to the new and growing market for health conscious consumers.