12.5kg luxury quality Vostizza currants from Greece

• top quality Vostizza Corinthian currants - grown in Greece
• Vostizza currants are world famous - most are produced on the West coast of the Peloponnese area of Southern Greece on the hills & mountains, surrounding Aeghion
• only Currants grown and processed in the Aeghion region can be called Vostizza and are certified by the European Union  'Protected Designation of Origin' (PDO No. 1549/98).
• the micro-climate of the region and rich soil contribute to the distinctive texture and flavour of Vostizza - dark berries with intense rich flavour
• these are the highest 'grade A' quality
• grown from seedless variety of grape - the small dry berries contain a lot of sugar so people often mistake natural crystallized sugar for seeds . . . there are no seeds
• 'Raisins of Corinth' were recorded as far back as the 15th century and it is believed the name Corinth became corrupted into the word currant
• historically, currants were different from raisins or sultanas as they were grown on bushes and not vines, but today most currants are produced from a specific cultivar of small berried black grape . . . technically speaking, they're not true currants(!)
• also known as the Corinthian Currant or Zante Currant
• dried in the sun to achieve their darker colour and intense flavour
• essential vine fruit for rich fruits cakes as well as Eccles Cakes (pic 2) or the famous Scottish Black Bun (pic 3)
• currants are then mixed with a little (very little!) vegetable oil which helps keeps the berries protected, glossy and in peak condition
• the light oil dressing helps keep each berry separated when tight packed and has a completely neutral effect on the bake
• ingredients: currants (99.5% min), sunflower oil (0.5% max)
• sunflower oil is a product of Denmark, Sweden or The Netherlands
• PLEASE NOTE - we don't offer cheaper dried fruit as these are readily available from supermarkets and cash & carries - instead, we have sourced some of the finest dried vine fruit available as we know our customers want the best quality for their cakes . . . having said that, we've worked hard to be able to offer you some really competitive prices on this amazing fruit
• INDUSTRY SECRET - for decades, big importers and supermarkets have been 'washing' their dried fruit in a sugar-water solution . . . basically you put 1kg in and you get 1.5kg out, so you get fewer berries per kilo and are really just paying for a lot of sugary water - this is a major issue for bakers as water-ladened fruit will not take on any more liquid (eg if you soak in brand or rum), introduce unwanted moisture into the cake mix and can cause cool spots in the baking
• naturally dried vine fruit means you're paying for the fruit itself, which will then absorb whatever alcohol or other soaking liquid you want to use
• a top quality product sourced from ethical growers
• 12.5 kg / 12500g / 27½lb bulk trade box (plastic liner)
• BBE date at least 2 months and often longer, although BBE dates can vary depending on what time of year you order - this is because there's only 1 or 2 shipments each year following harvest
• ingredients: currants, vegetable oil
• allergy advice: stored and handled in a facility which handles marzipan and other nut products - we therefore cannot guarantee free of traces of nut or nut oils
• suitable for vegetarians & vegans
• SAFETY FIRST - this is a completely natural product that has been sun-dried, so although every care is taken to remove any little stalks and stones, we always recommend sorting your dried fruit before use
• box styles and sizes can vary but normally approx 40cm / 400mm / 15½" x 28.5cm / 285mm / 11¼" x 17.5cm / 175mm / 7"
• see our range of dried fruit
• see our range of bulk edible supplies
• see our full range of edible supplies