What’s the difference between raisins and sultanas?
Contrary to popular belief, sultanas and raisins are both made from green grapes. The difference between the two is simply the length of time they are dried in the sun. The grapes used to make sultanas are dipped in order to split the skins before drying. This allows them to dry in around 10 days. Raisins are not dipped and take up to 20 days to dry in the sun, which means that they lose more moisture. The sun causes natural sugar in the grapes to caramelise, causing raisins to turn a darker colour and have a stronger flavour. Conversely, sultanas are lighter in colour, as well as slightly juicier and sweeter than raisins.
