Making Raisins in the Oven?

[Ben]

Have any of you ever made raisins in the oven? My grape vines are finally hitting full production, and there are way too many to eat this year, so I want to make some raisins with the rest.

My old man always made raisins via sun drying, but where he lived, the raisins both came in earlier and it was much hotter than here. I think it's getting too late in the season here for me to rely on the sun, so I want to try the oven method. I've done some gazoogling, but was just wondering if anyone here has done it?

[JTHunter]

You might try one of these "food dehydrators" that I have seen advertised.  Using the oven might overheat and essentially "cook" the grapes.  Any slow method runs the risk of mold/fungus growing on the moist fruit.
Good luck.

[Ben]

Good suggestion. Actually, if anyone has recommendations on dehydrators, they appear to be not as expensive as I thought, which (price) is why I never got around to getting one yet.

[Ben]

Ha, nevermind. I just did some gazoogling, and based on it coming it at #1, tie for #1 or #2 at several different review sites, bought this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PY5M579?th=1

I've got some apricots I need to do something with as well and don't want to water bath can them, so I guess I can put it to good use. I'll need to store it somewhere when not in use as I am fast running out of kitchen counter space. For a ginormous house built by Mormons, this place has a remarkably small kitchen.

[MillCreek]

Years ago, I had a Nesco food dehydrator.  I liked it since I could get additional trays and tray sheets for making fruit leather, which the kids loved.  I also dried tomatoes, apples from the backyard trees and made beef jerky.  I learned to not put the trays into the dishwasher since the heat warped them.

[K Frame]

You might try one of these "food dehydrators" that I have seen advertised.  Using the oven might overheat and essentially "cook" the grapes.  Any slow method runs the risk of mold/fungus growing on the moist fruit.
Good luck.

Food dehydrator, yes. That would be my suggestion.

[K Frame]

Ha, nevermind. I just did some gazoogling, and based on it coming it at #1, tie for #1 or #2 at several different review sites, bought this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PY5M579?th=1

I've got some apricots I need to do something with as well and don't want to water bath can them, so I guess I can put it to good use. I'll need to store it somewhere when not in use as I am fast running out of kitchen counter space. For a ginormous house built by Mormons, this place has a remarkably small kitchen.

NO! THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS! SEND IT BACK SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT AND INSULT EACH OTHER'S RECOMMENDATIONS!

WE HAVE A PROCESS! HONOR THE PROCESS!

[K Frame]

A couple of years ago I bought a... Westinghouse, I think, food dehydrator to make treats for Seren.

Dried hot dogs, chicken breast, that sort of thing.

Worked great.

I also dried apples and a few other things.
 
Then I discovered that Seren's allergic to chicken so I rethought my treats for her and started purchasing them instead and haven't used the dehydrator in some time.

Word to the wise, which a friend found out.

NEVER DRY HOT PEPPERS INDOORS!

[cordex]

NEVER DRY HOT PEPPERS INDOORS!

Not in your own home, anyway.

[Ben]

NO! THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS! SEND IT BACK SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT AND INSULT EACH OTHER'S RECOMMENDATIONS!

WE HAVE A PROCESS! HONOR THE PROCESS!

I sincerely apologize. I kiboshed an entire potential insult-fest with my lack of patience. 

[K Frame]

Do NOT make us give you the teamwork motivational speech...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WW8nf5Llp4

[Ben]

Do NOT make us give you the teamwork motivational speech...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WW8nf5Llp4

 

[K Frame]

In any event, thinking about this some more... I think trying to make raisins in the oven would probably be a failure. With the amount of water they have in them you really need a LOT of air circulation to ensure that you get the moisture out before things start to spoil, and an oven simply won't do that.

I wonder how successful you could be using a box fan and pleated paper filters. Alton Brown used that method to make beef jerky. He didn't want to use a dehydrator because of the relatively high levels of heat they generate.

[Ben]

Ugh - I'm not doing this again, at least with grapes. First you have to wash and pluck all the grapes, making sure you remove stems, then you have to poke a hole in each and every grape to let the water escape. Then you have to run the dehydrator. And run it and run it. I'm at 20 hours and still going. Youtube is telling me it might be 36 hours. Plus it's making the AC turn on from, as Mike mentioned, the generated heat. I was going to do it in the garage, but was afraid of attracting mice.

With the time and electricity, I could probably buy 100lbs of raisins for what it will cost me to generate a couple of pounds. 

I prefer my dad's method. He just stuck them all in the sun and picked the raisins when they were done. Sadly, as I mentioned, it's not hot enough here by the time the grapes ripen. If it were a month ago, I could have done it. I'll have to look at grape jam or something for next year.

On the other hand, I first tested the dehydrator with bananas. Five minutes to cut the bananas, set the timer for ten hours in the evening, wake up the next morning to tasty dehydrated banana chips. I'll definitely still use the dehydrator, just not for grapes. I might play with beef jerky in a couple of months when the excess heat generated will be beneficial.

[K Frame]

You could try cutting them in half, that would probably make them dry faster...

Although it would take hours to cut them all in half. 

Stick with schnitz. Apples, especially.

[JTHunter]

Well Ben, you needed to "experiment" to learn the viability of that option.  "Live & Learn."

[Kingcreek]

NEVER DRY HOT PEPPERS INDOORS!

I can confirm. Not even in an attached garage.
I once loaded up the nesco dehydrator with habenero and hot tai birdseye peppers then went into the house. I got out of the shower to my wife yelling at me. It was coming through the walls and gassing her in the kitchen. I had to open both garage doors to clear it enough for me to get through the fog to unplug it.