Drying the grapes without using an Alkaline solution.

Grapes cluster is taken into an Alkaline solution previously , then it will be dried in front of the sunlight. These two methods for raisins preparation are used in Iran as well. In this part , we will explain raisins preparation method in Iran and other raisins producing districts.Raisin is produced in different ways in various parts of the country and at the
time we will describe the common method used in Rezayieh.
Production of Sabzeh or green raisins_ Picking the grapes crop to produce
raisins is usually implemented in Mehr month , but 20 or 30 days before
collecting the grapes , its drying location which is called Varzan should be
prepared.
Varzan is a steep piece of ground that its slope is toward south to make the
utmost use of the direct sunshine and its heat. In most grape gardens , Varzan
surface is thatched with clay and straw afer surfacing , but recently according
to the advice of standards administratives , Varzan surface is covered with a
sheet of asphalt , so Varzan will be ready for grapes drying. Near Varzan , a
surface has been devised to boil the Alkaline solution that an iron dish with a
capacity of 50 liters of solution is placed on it.
In addition to this boiler , a number of big barrels , each with a capacity of
approximately 200 liters are also of the means to prepare the solution.
The Alkaline substance which is used to nitrify the green raisins , is obtained
from a plant named Shooran or Oshnian that its scientific name is Salsola soda.
The ash of this plant which grows in salt marshes , comprise a relatively high
amount of Potash and Sodium salts in form of carbonates.
These salts have two effects on a single grape. One of them is causing minute cracks which are hardly seen with the eye and speed up the evaporation of the available water in grape juice , and the other effect of nitrifying the grapes is to prevent the change of grape colour when it is being dried.
Nitrifying the grape to prepare grren raisins is so that they shatter nearly 15 kilos
of ash that is jelled in form of rock parts , and is so known as Alkali stone , then it
will be placed in a wire netting basket , after that the basket is hanged in 200 liter
barrels which contain pure water.
Alkali stone will be solved after 24 hours and leaves a viscous solution , then 50
liters of this solution will be poured into a special iron pot that is placed on the
furnace , under it , there will be a fire to boil the solution. Before boiling the
Alkaline solution , it should be tested to determine the concentration degree ,
ie they dip the finger tip into the solution , if there is any burning feeling , the solution is concentrated more than it is needed , and immaculate water should
be added to it , so that its concentration reduces and there won't be any feeling
of burning.
To speed up the Alkali stone solving and having a clear limpid solution , they
add 100grs to 150grs of lime to each barrel.
After that the solution in the iron pot begins to boil , workers will place 10Kgs
of the grapes which have been previously cleaned and their spolied unripe
singles have been seperated in wire netting basket and then they will place
it near iron pot containing boiling Alkaline solution. At this moment , another
specialist worker will dip the grape baskets into the Alkaline solution which
is boiling rapidly and then he will take it out and place it on another basket
near the furnace , then the workers will take the nitrified grapes to Varzan ,
and will place them on Varzan.The important fact is that in the whole duration
of nitrifying the grapes , the Alkaline solution should be boiling.
When placing the grapes in Varzan , there should be complete attention that
the two clusters won't be placed on each other , cause there will be a high
possibility of the under clusters to be spoiled , as well as their being dried late.
When nitrifying the grape cluster , as soon as the amount of the solution in the
iron pot reduces because of the application or evaporation , they pour some
fresh solution into the pot from the storing barrels.
A week or 10 days after putting the clusters in Varzan , the grapes will be dried
and will change into raisins. At this time , workers will collect the raisins , and
heap them up on the same Varzan , meanwhile if singles are found that have
not been dried yet , they will put them in a corner of Varzan to be dried. 4 or 5
days later , the workers will expose all the raisins to the wind so that leaf , twig
and tail of the single grape is seperated from the raisins and is prepared to be
carried to the store.