Oh Yeah, You Can Totally Rehydrate Raisins — And They're Great For Baking

If you wince when you find a raisin in your Halloween candy bag or while biting into an oatmeal cookie, you might be surprised to see how much better they taste after being rehydrated. The little dried grapes have faced hate from the beginning of time— we at The Takeout are just as guilty of this. The hate is probably due to the childhood trauma of biting into what you thought was a chocolate chip cookie only to find out it was actually oatmeal raisin. Raisins used to gross me out as a kid too, but I have since learned to love them and their ability to add a rich sweetness to recipes.

One of the more common critiques of raisins is their chewy texture, which can be satisfying to some and off-putting to others. Dried fruits tend to soak up any lingering moisture, so they can also dry out baked goods if you aren't careful with your ratios. You can avoid this by soaking your raisins (also known as plumping) before baking with them by letting them soak in liquid. Rehydrating raisins was a turning point for me because it made me realize how much the flavor and texture can change when they're allowed to soak up some moisture. And if you're still a raisin hater, I think this can be a turning point for you too.

Plumping your raisins takes next to no effort but can make all the difference in your recipes. Besides, you only need a few minutes of forethought to get it done. Simply put your raisins in a bowl and fill with just enough liquid to cover them. It's easy to soak your raisins in water, but you can also soak them in fruit juice for more flavor. You can even use alcohol (like taking the beloved rum-raisin flavor combo out of ice cream and into your baked goods). Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to rehydrate. Alternatively, pop the bowl in the microwave for two minutes before letting them sit. If you use a hot liquid, they should be ready to go in half the time.

When they're done soaking, the raisins will look rounder and feel softer, you just need to strain out any excess liquid before stirring them into your dough or batter. I like to rehydrate my raisins for savory recipes, too. My favorite is to counteract the sweetness of raisins by soaking them in a mild vinegar like red wine or cider vinegar before throwing them in salads. Of course, you can also soak other dried fruits like apricots, blueberries, and cherries, as well. Try this method just once and it will make a raisin lover out of you.