Currants

Despite being related to raisins, currants differ in terms of appearance and taste. Order currants for baked goods and confectionary as well as savoury dishes from August Töpfer & Co.

Currants from August Töpfer & Co.

The term currants refers to dried grapes of the Korinthiaki variety. The grape variety originally comes from the region around the Greek city of Corinth, but is now cultivated worldwide. Besides the Sultana grape variety, Korinthiaki grapes are among the most commonly cultivated table and wine grapes. Currants are dark-violet to black in colour and are a popular ingredient in sweet and baked goods, like their cousins raisins and sultanas. Due to their good baking properties, they are popular for use in Christmas cookies.

As a traditional trading company, August Töpfer & Co. is your reliable partner for wholesale currants. We are a leading importer of dried fruits, nut kernels and seeds and source our goods from controlled suppliers in the south of Greece. Our customers include leading European retailers and discounters as well as the confectionery industry. We also offer currants in certified organic quality and with the Demeter label. We obtain our products fresh in the spring and autumn. Most of the goods are inspected, processed and packed at our production site in Hamburg. This way, we ensure that we can offer our currants at a low price while also guaranteeing high quality and delivery reliability.

Currants, raisins and sultanas: what are the differences?

Although the word raisins is often used as a general term for raisins, currants and sultanas, strictly speaking they are three different kinds of dried fruit. They are distinguished by grape variety as well as how they are processed during production. All three products share a shrivelled appearance, but there are differences in terms of size, taste and their properties when used as an ingredient in baking or cooking. The range available from August Töpfer & Co. encompasses raisins, sultanas and currants as wholesale products for individual applications in the food industry.

Raisins and sultanas are produced from the same grape variety. Besides Sultana grapes, the most common varieties are the Thompson seedless grape, Malaga grape and Rozaki grape. For currants, however, only grapes from the Korinthiaki variety are used – although several sub-varieties exist. Unlike raisins and currants, sultanas are briefly dipped in a solution of water or olive oil and potash before drying. This breaks up the outer wax layer and shortens drying time. This makes sultanas softer, lighter and juicier than raisins. By contrast, currants are smaller and darker and typically have a slightly bitter, more intense flavour. Due to their firmer consistency, currants retain their shape when baking and cooking and are therefore ideal as baking ingredients or as edible decoration.

Production and processing of currants

Currants originally come from the south of Greece and their name derives from the city of Corinth. Today, the USA is the largest producer of currants and raisins. Currants are also cultivated in Australia and South Africa.

The first grapes emerge from the grape flowers around May. They are harvested once they have fully ripened and are sweet enough, usually at the end of September. Light shaking removes the grapes from the vine, before they are cleaned.

The grapes are traditionally dried in the sun. Alternatively, currants are now frequently dried in special facilities. After drying, the water content of the fruit is still around 15 to 18 percent, instead of 95 percent originally.

While raisins are sometimes treated with sulphur or sulphites and edible oil, this is generally not necessary for currants. Following a quality check, the currants are packed and further processed as required.

Currants: nutritional value and effect

Currants provide around 260 kilocalories per 100 grams. They contain a relatively high proportion of sugar at around 60 percent. However, unlike sweets and table sugar, this sugar is only released into the bloodstream gradually. Especially in combination with nuts, currants are a healthy snack between meals and an excellent source of energy for athletes and active people. Due to their high fibre content, currants contribute to healthy digestion as part of a balanced diet. Since currants are only dried gently, a large amount of the nutrients contained in the grape are retained. Magnesium, potassium, iron, fluorine, phosphorous, zinc and calcium as well as other components can be found in currants.

Magnesium

Potassium

Iron

Fluorine & Phosphorous

Zinc & Calcium

Currants as a healthy food

Currants give food a delicately bitter sweetness and provide essential nutrients and fibre. Although they are usually harder to find in shops than raisins and sultanas, they are just as versatile. Currants taste good as an ingredient in cereals, muesli bars, cakes, strudel and pastries. Because they are smaller and firmer than raisins and sultanas, currants are ideal for decorating baked goods such as raised pastries and Christmas cookies. In the Mediterranean and Asian regions, currants are also used in savoury meals including salads and pan dishes, and to refine meat dishes and casseroles.

Currants: shelf life and storage

When stored correctly, currants, raisins and sultanas stay fresh for a long time. Their reduced water content extends their shelf life, so buying and storing wholesale currants in large quantities is no problem at all. It’s important to ensure the packaging is air-tight, lightproof and protected from warmth. Sealed jars and containers are best suited for storing currants, as moisture penetration can result in mould. If currants develop a white coating during storage, this is not a sign of low quality since “sugaring” can occur on dried fruit due to the high fructose content.

Our currants are certified:

Buy currants online from a wholesaler

Order wholesale currants, raisins or sultanas online and benefit from our many years of experience and first-class quality at a fair price. As an experienced international wholesaler and commodity trader in nuts, dried fruits and seeds, we supply customers in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. Our services are just as diverse as our customers. In addition to supplying small and medium-sized enterprises by the pallet from our various storage locations, we also provide just-in-time delivery of goods to large-scale industry in full containers and trucks. We set the highest standards for our products and services. As a comprehensive food/non-food provider, we offer import, storage, packaging and logistics from a single source. With more than 50 fully automated packing lines, we can respond flexibly to customer needs.

Do you have any questions about our wholesale range or would you like an individual offer for currants? Our team will be happy to help. Give us a call or write to us: trockenfrucht@atco.de.