
Raisins are dried grapes, an obvious and simple truth. Despite the fact that getting the grapes to turn into raisins requires only one step, it's safe to say that not many people try this process at home. I decided to give it a shot, taking advantage of the blazing heat that I've been experiencing lately. I covered a wire cooling rack with a paper towel, set freshly washed grapes on top, and covered them with another paper towel. I set the tray outside in the sun and let nature go to work. You may have to weight down your towels, or cover the whole tray with a domed picnic screen to prevent flies from landing on the grapes.
These grapes, pictured, are about two days into the drying process, but they dry up more each day, getting sweeter as time passes. It took about one week to go from grapes to raisins, but this time will vary depending on sunlight and heat. They taste great, especially compared to the majority of pre-packaged raisins, and are a great summer project that only takes a little effort to do.











