Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
to emerge (and often again as the grapes begin to gain color). This interrupts the flow of
nutrients to the leaves and concentrates them in the fruit. Another technique is the applic-
ation of gibberellic acid ("gibbing"). This is a naturally occurring plant growth regulator
extracted from a cultivated fungus. (Some forms of it qualify for organic use.) It increases
the size of individ ual grapes and also stretches out grape clusters, allowing for better air
circulation and thus reducing disease. Between girdling and gibbing, a farmer can increase
the size of an individual grape by as much as a third.
Certainly, not every aspect of the grape business is so high-tech. In fact, in many places
raisin production hasn't changed since it was first introduced in the late nineteenth cen-
tury. It might surprise you to know that until the 1870s, raisins - about as commonplace
a food as there is today - were regarded as pricey exotics (they had to be imported from
the Mediterranean). But the same happy combination of heat and lack of humidity that
made growing grapes so easy in California's Central Valley also proved perfect for dry-
ing them. Today, as then, most raisins are made by the sun. Long strips of white paper
are laid down between the rows of grape trellises. When the bunches are picked, they are
placed on the paper and left to dry for two to three weeks. Almost all raisins are made
from Thompson Seedless grapes. The difference between light (golden) and dark raisins
is sulfuring. Golden raisins are sprayed with a sulfur dioxide compound before drying to
keep their color from changing.
There are several varieties of specialty raisins as well. You can find varietally labeled
raisins at farmers' markets and gourmet stores - mainly Muscat, Flame, Crimson and
Sultana. There is also a tiny raisin called a currant, which is the cause of no end of confu-
sion. It is commonly believed that these are derived from the small berries that are called
currants (mostly either bright red or black fruit that are grown almost entirely in the north-
ern British Isles). But those currant fruits have nothing to do with currant raisins, which
are made from the tiny Black Corinth grape, and if you say Corinth with the accent of a
New York produce dealer, you will understand the root of the confusion. These are some-
times called Zante currants, which alludes to the Greek island from which the grapes were
first imported. California-grown Black Corinth grapes are also becoming popular fresh.
They are usually labeled Champagne grapes, but of course they are not used for cham-
pagne at all. Their tiny size is very cute, but they don't have much flavor.
