Raisins are known as "nature’s original candy" because of their sweetness. Nearly 100 percent of the US crop comes from the area in and around Fresno, home to some 5,000 raisin growers.

This shriveled fruit was discovered in the San Joaquin Valley in 1873 when a pioneer grape grower accidentally found that dried muscat grapes made a delicious food. But it wasn’t long before the variety called the "Thompson Seedless" became the raisin grape of choice because of its extreme sweetness.

But turning a green, juicy grape into a raisin is no easy task. It takes at least three years to produce a single raisin, from the time a grapevine is planted to its first yield. By late August, ripe grapes are ready to become raisins. Skilled farm workers gently hand pick the grape clusters. They’re laid out to dry on clean paper trays between rows of vines. It takes two to three weeks to dry the grapes, which are periodically turned to make sure that they receive enough sun for complete drying.

After drying, the raisins head for a processing plant, such as the Del Rey Packing Company, where they’re submitted to numerous inspections. Each raisin travels across conveyer belts at 10 miles per hour, where unwanted stems and chaff are removed. They’re also scanned by a laser sorter and skilled human hands.

Once the raisins pass inspection, they’re automatically weighed and packed. Sixty-five percent go to market in bulk for bakers and cereal companies, while 35 percent become off the shelf snacks.

The Del Rey plant also makes raisin paste, a popular ingredient used in foods such as steak sauce.

One export market that’s using a lot of raisins and raisin paste is Japan. About 30,000 tons are consumed each year. For the past six years the California raisin industry has sponsored a baking competition for Japanese professional bakers. The winners come to tour "raisin country." They see the raisin-making process from beginning to end, and even enjoy products not yet available in Japan, such as California golden raisins.

If you’d like more information about California raisins, including recipes, contact the California Raisin Marketing Board at the address and phone number listed below.

3445 North First Street, Suite 101
Fresno, CA 93726
(559) 248-0287

Info@raisins.org

Or you can visit their website at www.calraisins.org.

If you have questions or comments about this story, please E-mail Producer/Reporter Pat McConahay at pmcconah@kvie.org.