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Dehydrated grapes are a delicious, but under-appreciated snack you can easily make at home. Grapes are great for dehydration and last for years in your pantry!
Learn how to dehydrate grapes and you’ll be able to enjoy the impressive health benefits and deep, concentrated grape flavor in this jewel-like treat any time you like.
Snack time is as important as any meal, but too often, it’s easy to resort to highly processed, sugary or oily foods. Instead of giving into store-bought convenient foods, I decided to start making my own dried fruit. Not only do homemade raisins hit the spot during snack time and satisfy sugar cravings, but they’re also incredibly versatile to use in other recipes
Once you learn how to dehydrate grapes into raisins at home, you’ll never have to shell out for the store-bought stuff again.
Health Benefits of Dehydrated Grapes
Are dried grapes actually good for you? And are raisins dried grapes? The answer to both is yes. The raisins you buy at the grocery store once started out as plump, juicy grapes. And yes, just like fresh grapes, dried grapes pack a long list of health benefits. When you start dehydrating grapes into raisins on your own, you can choose higher-quality and organic grapes. I recommend organic black grapes.
Dried black grapes benefits include:
Dietary fiber – Each ½ cup serving of raisins contains about 2.5 grams of fiber, or roughly 10% of your daily recommended intake of fiber, according to the FDA.
Iron – Dehydrated grapes are a good source of iron, which is especially important for anyone following a plant-based or vegetarian diet, as most food sources of iron come from animals. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), your body needs iron to produce a healthy blood supply and strong muscles.
Antioxidants – Because raisins are made by dehydrating grapes, they are high in plant-based antioxidants, which help fight off disease-causing free radicals in your body. This can help reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and chronic illnesses.
Here’s what you need to know to make your own dried grapes (raisins) at home:
Start with high-quality organic grapes. I like to make dried black grapes for their added flavor and health benefits from antioxidants.
Thoroughly wash the grapes.
Next, you’ll need to carefully poke a hole in the skin of each grape. You can do this by blanching the grapes in boiling hot water for 30 seconds, or by using a fork (as shown in the video on this post) or regular kitchen knife. If you use a knife, make a shallow cut in the skin of each grape, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Arrange the split grapes on dehydrator trays. Try to spread the grapes out into as even a layer as possible. Otherwise, you won’t get the airflow you need and the grapes may stick together, rather than turn into nice plump raisins.
Set the dehydrator to 135°F. Dehydrate the grapes for 18 to 48 hours. Exactly how long does it take to dehydrate grapes? In dryer climates, you will need less time. If you live in a humid area, you’ll probably need more than a full day to reach full raisin status.
Remove the dried grapes from the dehydrator. Cool them on a counter until they’re cool enough to handle.
Store the dehydrated grapes in a n airtight jar or container that has more space than necessary. You’ll need to regulate the humidity of the raisins now that they’re out of the dehydrator. This is called conditioning.
Storing Dehydrated Grapes
During the first week of storage, you’ll need to shake the jar of raisins once a day. This helps prevent the dehydrated raisins from sticking together. It also helps them reach a normal level of humidity to prevent mold from growing.
Tip: if during the first few days of storage you see any condensation on the storage container, immediately put the grapes back into the dehydrator and dehydrate for several more hours. Moisture can cause mold to grow on your new snack!
After conditioning the grapes for a month, you can store your homemade dehydrated grapes in an airtight container for years. For storage longer than two years, use a vacuum sealer (see how here).
How to Use Dried Grapes
You can snack on your homemade raisins straight out of the container! Or, use them in these tasty ways:
Add to chickpea or tuna salad
Make oatmeal raisin cookies
Stir into breakfast porridge or rice pudding
Make your own trail mix for portable energy
Dehydrated grapes are a fun hands-on project to try at home. IF you have a dehydrator and a few bunches of organic black grapes, you’re just a few hours away from this one-ingredient snack that’s healthy, versatile and stays fresh for years!
