Getting Raisins Drunk

California Raisins

No, the post title doesn’t refer to a group of California Raisins walking around tipsy that would be quite a sight.

The California Raisins' were a creation of the late clay animator Will Vinton. Their big hit was a cover of  I Heard It Through the Grapevine (a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips and later Marvin Gaye in 1967 and 1968). Vinton was credited with creating a form of stop-animation technique called claymation which used putty or clay for a textured, somewhat cartoonish feel. 

Paul Harvey

This post isn't about claymation, but about an arthritis folk remedy popularized by the late radio personality Paul Harvey, who mentioned it his 1994 radio broadcast. According to Harvey, the remedy with gin and golden raisins had been around for 20 years. After Harvey’s broadcast, the remedy made its way into media outlets countrywide. 

Arthritis is an auto-immune disease which often causes pain and loss of mobility. At present, there's no known cure for the disease. While medical science hasn’t devised an effective treatment, drug therapies and OTC products can somewhat lessen discomfort and inflammation. These don’t work for all. 

The reason for this post is that I’ve started to experience arthritic symptoms, similar to other members in my family. 

Daily consumption of gin-soaked raisins may seem an unorthodox treatment. An online check provided many versions of the recipe along with testimonials on its effectiveness (or not). It's been widely touted in home and folk remedy publications as well. In The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies, authors Joe and Teresa Graedon wrote that many folks highly endorsed it; others claimed it didn’t help at all.

Which is why I've decided to try this folk remedy. My decision wasn't based on Harvey's endorsement, but on that of a 93-year old neighbor. Margaret told me she’s had positive results for years. As she's got both age and experience on her side, golden raisins and a bottle of quality gin were on my recent shopping list.

What Are the Magic Ingredients?

There's just these two — golden raisins and gin. 

Golden raisins are sultana grapes to which sulfur dioxide has been added to keep them golden and are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties. Sultana grapes originate from Turkey, Greece, Iran, South Africa. They’re grown under the name Thompson seedless grapes in the U.S. 

Spoiler Alert: Anyone allergic to sulfites may need to avoid golden raisins. 

The claim is that black raisins should be avoided and only golden raisins work. That's debatable and some folks said the darker and less costly raisins worked just as well.

Gin should be distilled with juniper berries, also believed to be laden with anti-inflammatory compounds. Don't skimp on quality and avoid bargain brands say online sources. My choice was Gordon’s London Dry Gin; its website claims it uses the finest hand-picked juniper berries. I can’t vouch for the veracity of that claim, but it does makes a good gin and tonic.

When golden raisins are soaked in juniper berry gin, the gin extracts many compounds in the raisins, making them more readily absorbed when eaten. 

Here's the basic recipe

Place golden raisins in a glass jar and pour in gin made with juniper berries over the raisins. Cover loosely with a non-metallic cover to allow evaporation (paper vs. plastic wrap). Let the raisins sit for a week (or two) at room temp until they soak up the gin or are coated with a thick syrup. The time depends on temperature and humidity. The raisins won't dry out and will stay moist.

Mamie & Emily Baldwin

That’s all there is to the recipe. 

It's not like the one called The Recipe or Papa's Recipe prepared by the Baldwin sisters on The Waltons TV show.

Besides raisins are considered healthy. The small amount of gin in the consumed raisins won’t get anyone tipsy.

What's Next?

Eat 9 raisins regularly per day or one spoonful. You could double up with a spoonful in the morning and another at night. There's no special reason as to why 9 is the popular consensus. I found references to more or less raisins online. 

Does It Work?

That's debatable. Its effectiveness hasn't been medically proven. Advocates say a fair trial would be 2 or up to 6 weeks. Supporters cite scientific findings that make it seem feasible. Detractors believe it's a placebo effect since endorphins and natural pain mediators take over when people believe in a cure. Arthritis often has flare-ups and remission. If the timing of these coincide, it could be remission and not a successful treatment. 

So, there's no guarantee that gin-soaked raisins relieve arthritis pain. That said, there's enough anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving compounds in golden raisins and the juniper gin to possibly provide some pain relief. Many of nature's remedies may seem far-fetched or unusual, like this one, but I'm giving this one a try, along with now-resuming chiro appts.

Starting this week, so can't vouch yet for its effectiveness, but will post a future update. Even if it doesn't alleviate arthritis pain, a gin and tonic is great on a hot summer day. 

As Harvey famously said when ending his broadcasts, and now you know, the rest of the story.

Your turn — has anyone else heard of or tried this arthritis folk remedy cure? If so, please share your experiences in a comment. I'd appreciate hearing about any, others might too.