Black Raisins

Sun-dried natural black & seeded Munakka, SO₂-free

Black raisins are the product of doing nothing to the berry: Thompson Seedless or local dark varieties are laid on trays or paper in the field and sun-dried for two to three weeks, with no alkaline dip, no sulphuring and no heated tunnel. Enzymatic browning is allowed to run to completion, which is where the deep brown-black colour and the heavier, more caramelised flavour come from. Because there is no sulphur in the process, black raisins are inherently SO₂-free and need no allergen declaration — which is exactly why clean-label and organic-programme buyers specify them. CBIL brokers natural sun-dried black raisins from the Nashik and Sangli belts alongside Iranian and Afghan material, plus seeded Munakka (the large, seeded, softer black raisin used in ayurvedic and confectionery applications), graded on berry count per 100 g, Sortex class and stem/cap carry-over. Moisture typically runs 13–16% and sugar 70–75% on a dry basis; the berry is softer and stickier than golden because it has not been heat-set, so it clumps more readily and reefer stowage matters more than buyers expect.

Choose black over golden or green when the berry is going somewhere its colour is irrelevant or actively helpful: dark fruited breads, malt loaf and Christmas bakery, chocolate-coated and panned confectionery, energy and cereal bars, chutney and sauce bases, ayurvedic and nutraceutical preparations, and any programme where 'no sulphites' is a hard label requirement. You are also buying the cheapest berry in the family — no dip, no sulphur, no tunnel fuel and no shade-house cycle means it sits at the bottom of the raisin price stack, and paying golden money for a berry that will be invisible inside a dark dough is a spec error we see regularly. Lots ship against SGS or Intertek certification of moisture, sugar, SO₂ (certified absent where claimed), foreign matter, capstem count, mould and damage and pesticide residue to destination MRLs, with phytosanitary documentation, in 10 kg and 12.5 kg lined cartons or 14 kg bags, dry or reefer container, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms.