Homemade Raisins

Length:  About 1 week

Parental Involvement:  Clean grapes and encourage waiting

Kids Should Be Able to:  Be patient and observe

Raisins are a staple of most children's diets, and while most children know that raisins come from grapes, making your own raisins is much more fun than buying them.  Today we have an experiment that will take most of the week, and before you know it, you will have transformed grapes into raisins.  So put on your patient hats and follow these instructions to sweet, dried fruit, science nirvana. 

1. Gather a bunch of seedless grapes. Red or green both work so pick your favorite color.

2. Wash grapes off thoroughly with cold water.

3. Separate your grapes from the bunch making sure to remove any stems.

4. Arrange your grapes on a large dish.  Be sure you leave space in between each one so air can circulate.

5. Find a spot in your house that gets lots of sunlight and put your dish with the grapes there.

6. Place a paper towel over your grapes. This will keep out bugs and dirt.

7. Wait about one week for the raisins to form.

That is it!  Now, this waiting game can be as educational as you want to make it.  Once a day, take a peek at the grapes and ask your kids some questions like, "Have the grapes changed color?", "Do the grapes seem smaller?", "Have the wrinkles started to form?" or my personal favorite, "Can I eat them?"  Prepare your kids for the fact that in about 4 days you should begin to see a difference. Each day, try a taste test to see if they are dried enough to be called raisins.  If not, put them back in the sun and wait another day or two.

Here is a list of some words associated with raisin creation that are good to share with your kids:

• Dried
• Sweetness
• Wrinkled
• Transformed
• Seedless

Have fun with your fruit transformations!  Keep checking in on this post, I will be posting pictures throughout the week of our raisins!