# Storing raisins and zante currants



## kitchengoddess8 (Jul 23, 2017)

I just bought a tub of zante currants at Whole Foods and would like to know if they need to be refrigerated and/or transferred to an airtight container. They were packaged in a thin plastic tub. I'm planning to use them over a period of time for baking. Thanks!


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 23, 2017)

I keep my dried fruits like raisins in the original container, unless I've bought them in bulk or a bag. In those cases I put them in Tupperware. If they are too old and get hard, you can always plump them up with a little moisture.


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## kitchengoddess8 (Jul 23, 2017)

Cooking Goddess said:


> I keep my dried fruits like raisins in the original container, unless I've bought them in bulk or a bag. In those cases I put them in Tupperware. If they are too old and get hard, you can always plump them up with a little moisture.



Thanks Cooking Goddess  Do you refrigerate them?


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 23, 2017)

Nope. They're in the pantry off our kitchen. If I have one "on deck", it's stored in our basement.


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## Cheryl J (Jul 23, 2017)

I keep my raisins in the fridge.  Actually, I hardly ever have any dried fruits, but grandson and I made oatmeal raisin cookies recently and I have a couple of cups left.  They get stored in the fridge - with such high heat and low humidity here, they would get hard as a rock in the pantry in no time.

I'll probably make some more oatmeal raisin cookies (or some other dessert that includes them) in the near future to use them up. Like CG does, I usually plump them up briefly with a little bit of hot water.


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## medtran49 (Jul 23, 2017)

I keep my dried fruit in the fridge too once it's  opened at least.


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## Caslon (Jul 24, 2017)

I can make a tightly wrapped 6 pack of mini raisin boxes last a year in the cupboard. The fridge seems to harden them. 
A not tightly sealed raisin box is a neon sign invitation to pests of all kinds.


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## kitchengoddess8 (Jul 24, 2017)

Caslon said:


> I can make a tightly wrapped 6 pack of mini raisin boxes last a year in the cupboard. The fridge seems to harden them.
> A not tightly sealed raisin box is a neon sign invitation to pests of all kinds.



I'm concerned about pests as well. That's why I'm thinking of refrigerating them. But then there is the hardness factor  An airtight container in the pantry might work but I don't know what the shelf life would be.


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## medtran49 (Jul 24, 2017)

kitchengoddess8 said:


> I'm concerned about pests as well. That's why I'm thinking of refrigerating them. But then there is the hardness factor  An airtight container in the pantry might work but I don't know what the shelf life would be.



I just put them in some water, stock, or booze depending on what they are going in, and that takes care of the hardness.

You do realize that zante currants are really raisins right?  They are NOT real currants.  To me, the zantes are just a marketing ploy to get away with charging more, as they taste the same as regular store bought raisins IMO.


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## kitchengoddess8 (Jul 24, 2017)

medtran49 said:


> I just put them in some water, stock, or booze depending on what they are going in, and that takes care of the hardness.
> 
> You do realize that zante currants are really raisins right?  They are NOT real currants.  To me, the zantes are just a marketing ploy to get away with charging more, as they taste the same as regular store bought raisins IMO.



Yes, I did some research yesterday and saw that zante currants are actually small raisins. Definitely a marketing ploy! I'm going to return them and get regular organic raisins. Any suggestions as to which kind of raisin is tastiest and best for baking?


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 24, 2017)

*kitchengoddess*, you're overthinking these things. Buy Sunmaid. Buy from the bulk bin. Buy Trader Joe's if you have a TJ's near you - I think they have the best dried fruit. If you're cooking with them, it's not that big of a deal.

I have raisins in my pantry, in Tupperware, that must be at least three years old. I bought them from an Amish bulk foods store. No bugs in them or my pantry. Sure they may get a bit hard, but liquid plumps them back up. If you bake with them after they get hard, just warm a tiny amount of the liquid from the recipe for plumping so their flavor isn't watered down. 



medtran49 said:


> ...To me, the zantes are just a marketing ploy to get away with charging more...


*med*, she bought them at Whole Foods. She's already paying more.


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## GotGarlic (Jul 24, 2017)

I buy this package and keep it in the pantry before and after opening. They taste good; my husband and his father love the oatmeal-raisin cookies I make with them. No pests and no hardness. The shelf life is over a year.


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## kitchengoddess8 (Jul 24, 2017)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *kitchengoddess*, you're overthinking these things. Buy Sunmaid. Buy from the bulk bin. Buy Trader Joe's if you have a TJ's near you - I think they have the best dried fruit. If you're cooking with them, it's not that big of a deal.
> 
> I have raisins in my pantry, in Tupperware, that must be at least three years old. I bought them from an Amish bulk foods store. No bugs in them or my pantry. Sure they may get a bit hard, but liquid plumps them back up. If you bake with them after they get hard, just warm a tiny amount of the liquid from the recipe for plumping so their flavor isn't watered down.



Not overthinking...grapes (and raisins) have been found to contain high level of pesticides. That's why I'm looking to buy organic. I understand that for some people this is not an issue. 

Thanks for the Tupperware suggestion. It beats using the heavy mason jar I have!


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## medtran49 (Jul 25, 2017)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *med*, she bought them at Whole Foods. She's already paying more.



Unfortunately, it's not just Whole Foods.  We've found them at Fresh Market, Lucky's Markets (which are spread out throughout the country), and even Publix, a chain in the SE.  The "zante currants" always seem to cost more, sometimes significantly more, than just regular raisins.  We got snockered into buying them once.  I didn't take them back because I'd already used some before I tasted them, besides the fact that neither one of us wanted to drive back to either the Fresh Market or the Whole Foods we got them from, don't remember which.  Now, I make sure I'm getting what I'm paying for when I buy currants, and I use the zantes in picadillo, because neither one of us is real fond of raisins.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 28, 2017)

kitchengoddess8 said:


> I'm concerned about pests as well. That's why I'm thinking of refrigerating them. But then there is the hardness factor  An airtight container in the pantry might work but I don't know what the shelf life would be.


Failing Tupperware (or Lock & Lock) I put dried fruits in a large screw-top glass jar. No creepy crawlies can get in those. I don't bother refridgerating as I live in a temperate climate.


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