Raisins more than just dried grapes

March 3, 2010

Frank Kourt Berea College Public Relations The Richmond Register Wed Mar 03, 2010, 11:00 AM EST

RICHMOND — Remember the “Dancing Raisins” from the 70s?

These animated raisins would dance across your TV screen to the tune of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and tout the benefits of raisins.

That was the heyday of raisins, which, until then, mostly were considered snack food for kids that came in little individual boxes.

Today, plastic models of “The Dancing Raisins” might be found in a dusty corners in the backs of antique stores, but raisins still are tasty, versatile and nutritious, and very much a part of “the bigger picture” in cooking.

Raisins can be used in many dishes from desserts to entrees.

There’s raisin pie, a special treat we look forward to each Thanksgiving at the annual family gathering.

According to the California Raisin Marketing Board, Americans tend to eat way too little fruit, and raisins are a portable, tasty way to get the fruit we need. They are also free of fat and cholesterol, low in sodium, packed with antioxidants, a source of potassium and fiber and a source of quick energy.

Also, they’re easy to add to other foods. Pick a sprinkling of them on your cereal in the morning, or add them to fruit salads.

It is conjectured that raisins first were discovered when someone found them drying on the grapevine. Reference to them goes back as far as 1490 B.C. They were introduced into Europe by the Crusaders in the 11th century, and became part of cuisine in Europe in the 14th century.

However they were developed, raisins make a great addition to many foods. Here are some dishes to try. I’m also sharing a family recipe for that killer raisin pie we all crave each Thanksgiving!

Alka’s Raisin Pie

Ingredients:

2 cups raisins

2 cups water

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie

Preparation:

Combine raisins and water in a small saucepan and boil 5 minutes. Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together and add to hot raisins.

Cook and stir until syrup is clear. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Turn filling into a pastry lined 9-inch pan and cover with top crust. Seal edges and cut slits in the top crust. Sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Raisin Pie*

Ingredients:

1 pie shell

1/4 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup cane syrup

1 cup halved pecans

1/4 cup good Kentucky bourbon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup raisins

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and bale the pie shell partially. About 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the remaining ingredients and fill the pie shell. Bake the pie about 40 minutes or until knife stuck in the filling comes out clean. Serve either warm or cold.

Cream of Raisin Soup*

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins

4 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 piece lemon rind

4 tbsp. sugar

2 cups milk, apple juice or cold water

3 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Combine raisins, cloves, cinnamon, lemon juice and rind, sugar and milk in saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer until raisins are plump and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove cloves, cinnamon stick and lemon rind. Mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water and add enough to thicken the soup to the desired consistency. Remove from heat and cool. Just before serving, stir in heavy cream. Serve warm or cold, but eat the day it is prepared.

* Recipes courtesy The California Raisin Marketing Board

Text Only

Lifestyles & Community

Happy are they who finish what they start
Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.
— Psalm 144:15

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
Looking at various things
During my eight years away from home (Richmond and Madison County) the post office tower was a beacon welcoming me home.
Today, the the stone edifice completed in the 1892 as a post office and federal courthouse is the Madison Hall of Justice.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
Things are different than when we were young
I was just thinking the other day about how confused we seniors are most of the time. Things are so different than when we were young. We find it hard to understand much of what we are confronted with.
Some things like this happen to us frequently. We begin a conversation with, “In my day.” We look so old we are followed around by archeologists. We tell our kids that old age causes us to become wiser and they tell us, “Then you must be a genius.” We no longer look forward to a wild evening out, but look forward to a dull evening in.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
We are heirs and joint-heirs to His kingdom
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. — Rom 8:14-19

May 18, 2012 1 Photo
How little exercise is necessary for good health?
How little exercise is necessary for good health?
That question was the subject of a recent investigation by a team of exercise scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and the answer seems to be a lot less than we might think, as long as we’re willing to put in the effort.

May 12, 2012 1 Photo
A mother’s love never stops
A mothers love will always be there. Even when everyone else stops to rest, her love for her family continues. She is always working, carring and sharing what she has with her children, even if she has to do without for herself.

May 11, 2012 1 Photo
Start planting your hot weather vegetables now

Hopefully, the unusual spate of unseasonably warm weather we had earlier this spring did not fool you, and you’ve been patiently waiting to get your hot weather veggies, such as tomatoes and peppers, into your summer vegetable garden.

Now is a good time to start planting these delectable goodies.

May 7, 2012
Rethinking the benefits of crunches
I’ve been doing crunches all my adult life and it may be one of the reasons I have back problems. Research from the University of Waterloo in Ontario has found that repeated bending of the spine, such as occurs when doing crunches, can contribute over time to damage of spinal discs. The results are presented — along with a lot of other useful information — in the book, “Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance” by Stuart McGill.

May 5, 2012 1 Photo
Is 401(k) good for America?
Internal Revenue Code section 401(k) is the only section of the US tax code that average people can cite.
They know it has something to do with whether or not they can retire with dignity. Or retire at all.

May 5, 2012 1 Photo
He is there when you need Him
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. — Psalm 139:7-10

May 4, 2012 1 Photo
More Lifestyles & Community Headlines

Lifestyles & Community

Search Results

Raisins more than just dried grapes

A recent health ranking listed Madison County as the 20th healthiest county in the state. It measured factors such as exercise, access to health care and smoking. Do you smoke cigarettes?

Site Map