Sultanas are the dried fruit of seedless grapes coming in varied shapes from round to oval. They are a convenient low-fat snack. (S) It also is famous in Iran as Tizabi and Poloei (kishmish/keshmesh polo is a delicious and traditional Iranian food. Sultana is one of the main ingredients to make this food, so the Iranian people call it Poloei raisins, too).
Why Sultana is called Tizabi?
Tizab is a kind of permissive alkaline solution (water, potassium carbonate, and vegetable oil) that breaks down the skin of grapes to hasten the drying process. (W) So the dried grapes are being soaked in the solutions and immediately they are being washed by water.
How Sultana is processed?
They are dried in special drying plants and due to their very high sugar content, sultanas are very sweet and similar in flavor to honey. Sultanas can be treated with sulfur in order to gain a light brown color but the most popular one is the dark brown sultana which does not contain any sulfur. After being double washed, sultanas are dried coated with vegetable oil, stemmed, mechanically cleaned, laser and hand-sorted then metal detected under the extreme care of hygienic conditions and with legal and safety requirements and the customer’s special specifications.
Grape clusters are tied up to each other vertically with appropriate 2 or 3-meter-threads after picking them from the gardens. After that, to decrease the time of the drying process, they will be submerged inside a solution including potassium carbonate, water and Australian oil (same as the process of making Golden raisin). Then they are put on the floor made of concrete or on special papers with no soil under the exposure of direct sunlight. Finally, it will dry after 5-6 days and it will be transferred to the factory for the washing and packing process. The color of these types of raisin is brown and it is very sweet and tasty. (S)
What are the uses of Sultana?
Compared to other raisins, Iranian sultanas with lower moisture are more free-flowing and sweeter in taste thus making them a favorite in the bakery industry, mostly because they do not get easily chopped in the bakery mixers, so they are the best choice for biscuits, desserts, cookies, breads, muffins, and cakes. (S)
Sultanas are eaten as a snack food without further processing and are used in a variety of dishes, such as fruitcake and Bath buns, sometimes prepared by soaking in water, fruit juice, and etc.
End-users include:
- Manufacturing industries such as bakeries and breakfast cereal producers
- Supermarkets
- Dairy products such as yogurt and ice-creams
- Salads and desserts
What is Sultana storing condition?
Sultanas need to be stored in an airtight container to extend their freshness. They are available all-year-round. (S)
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