Healthy, Kid-Friendly Snack: Making Our Own Raisins
May 07, 2010
By Mark Bishop, Deputy Director
they were the easiest and most portable and wholesome snack. We ate
them all the time. Finally, I broke down and bought about a year's
supply of raisins online. Not long thereafter, Henry wanted raisins no
more. I don't know why. I guess that's the fickle nature of raising a
three year old.
Well, with my recently re-found love of
drying fruit, I thought I'd try to rekindle Henry's old love for
raisins and all the while enjoy a little cooking and even a little
science. Here's what we did.
drying fruit, I thought I'd try to rekindle Henry's old love for
raisins and all the while enjoy a little cooking and even a little
science. Here's what we did.
—
Ingredients:Grapes. Lots of them.
I
sliced a lot of grapes in half and had Henry carefully place them, skin
side down, on a lined cookie sheet. We talked about what raisins are
and how they really are just dried grapes. And when the grapes cook,
the water leaves the grapes, leaving behind shriveled sweet raisins.
We
then put the grapes into the oven at 250 degrees for an hour and a half.
(Note: Pay attention to the grapes because they can burn easily.)
He
thought it was really cool. He kept running to and from the kitchen
looking into the oven window and yelling in delight, “Look what the oven
is doing to the grapes!!”
When all was said and done, we
had a fun time, I think Henry learned a little something, we had a
delicious bunch of sweet, tangy, chewy dried grapes — and Henry still
refused to eat the raisins that he made.
had a fun time, I think Henry learned a little something, we had a
delicious bunch of sweet, tangy, chewy dried grapes — and Henry still
refused to eat the raisins that he made.
A few steps forward, a few steps sideways. All and all, we both had a great time. You don't hit a home run every time.
