My vegan shopping (Raisins). Join me in choosing and preserving them.

What a pleasure to greet you and to participate in this initiative by choosing, buying and preserving RAISED VEGETABLES. I love going grocery shopping and vegetable sales. This is because I like to appreciate the freshness of my food. Choosing different textures, color and above all vegetables and fruits that are in season.

Today I am especially sharing my experience choosing and preserving the UVAS PASAS. These dehydrated fruits are part of my occasional purchases, as I use them to prepare some dessert and special drinks. I love to eat them on their own. These raisins in the month of December are a sure buy. I use them for my sweet and savory meals typical of our Christmas dishes. As for example for Hallacas, Pan de Jamón, paneton, cakes among others.

MY RECOMMENDATION IN THE CHOICE AND PURCHASE OF RAISINS.
It is important to buy these raisins of good quality, because it brings flavor, sweetness, some acidity and a very nice consistency to the food. I like to buy the raisins already hermetically packed. In this opportunity in the Galerias Supermarket there were the raisins located in a shelf with the different versions of this dehydrated fruit. The ones I chose were on sale and I was able to buy these delicious grapes that I usually eat half by themselves and the other half I use in my sweet preparations.

One way for me to choose raisins is that they should be soft when I eat them since they can be hard and lose their texture, moisture and flavor because they have been preserved for a longer period of time. I love them when they are sweet and with a little of their acidity. As I could not taste them, I bought them according to my experience.

The Grapes I chose are the dark ones, they looked very beautiful and bright. They were also located in a suitable place, away from other products. Also, they were hermetically packed. When I got home I could see the quality of the grapes. I was delighted with this fantastic purchase. I immediately separated them into different tightly sealed containers and stored them in the fridge.

WHAT I LEARNED
Normally these raisins at this time of year are plentiful in supermarkets. For being the season in which many people include it in their recipes and preparations. In relation to the choice I have learned with experience and is something that I share with you; and is that previously when I bought in places that have raisins are stored in a large covered container, the seller every time a person goes to buy, there is a risk of contamination, with air, manipulating each time and not ensuring that these raisins have the output, proper rotation can create mold at the end of the container. This will accelerate the process of decomposition of this fruit.

In case of being uncovered in medium-sized containers in the refrigerator, as is the case of some grocery stores in the area where I have purchased. These raisins are usually placed near the capers, olives, and deli in general. They also sell them in plastic bags. It has happened to me that the raisins I have bought in these circumstances have already lost their flavor and the tendency is to become contaminated with other foods where they are exposed, changing their characteristic flavor and texture.

I recommend buying them in places where they are displayed already packaged, as I mentioned above, observing the date on which it was packaged. This ensures freshness, smooth texture and less handling. When we are going to use them in several sweet or savory dishes and others, the raisins can be purchased in small trays. So that they are already reserved for a specific use. They should be kept in the refrigerator where they can last longer. This taking into account that many times we do not know the time of their dehydration process. Even if we know the date of packaging we do

not know when they were processed and treated.
MY EXPERIENCE IN CANNING
Glass containers are always more recommended than plastic ones to preserve raisins. But if the latter are not available, they are also useful. In both cases they must be hermetically sealed to avoid absorbing the flavors of other foods. When I decide to buy raisins. I buy them in small quantities or at the time when I am really going to use them. However, in the month of December I prefer to buy them in advance and keep them in the fridge, hermetically sealed and separated for different uses.

I hope you liked my recommendations for buying and storing raisins. I was delighted to participate once again in this fantastic and incredible initiative.

What are you waiting for to choose and preserve raisins?

A14//Photos taken from my Redmi 9A phone.