Q. What is the difference between Sultana raisins, Thompson Seedless raisins and currants? Can currants and raisins be used interchangeably in recipes?
A. Have you ever known a family that had lots of children who resembled each other but had different personalities? Fruits and vegetables are kind of like that. McIntosh and Golden Delicious are both from the apple family, but one may be tarter and crisper while another may be sweeter.
So the simple answer is that Sultanas and Thompson seedless are both grapes, just different strains.
Currants can come from a couple of different fruits, either a small dark grape called a Zante or a small red or black berry related to the gooseberry. The berry-based currants usually are used for things like currant-flavored liqueur, while the grape-based ones are dried and used in baking.
Although raisins are slightly bigger, raisins or dried currants are mostly interchangeable in baking.