Tips

• Most confectioners specify medium size raisins with a round shape to aid in the aerodynamic flight of the fruit in the panning process.
• Some of the more stable vegetable oils work best for panning, e.g., blends of coconut, cotton seed and other oils which may be blended according to conditions on the world oil market. Raisin packers may apply as much as 0.25 percent oil coating to raisins for confectionery applications.
• Although California Raisins are normally free flowing, they can sometimes clump together. Those clumps must be separated before processing. Some manufacturers will spray them with warm water and gently de-clump by hand or with de-clumping machinery.