Dried Fruit

The ancient Greeks knew all about dried fruit leaving grapes out in the sun until they shriveled up just enough to make tasty raisins long before others turned them into the raw material for wine. Drying is not only the oldest method of preserving food it is also a convenient way to add fruit to your diet. Easy to carry with no messy juices or peelings to dispose of dried fruit can be added to everything from salads to cereal.

To produce dried fruit the water is removed from fully ripened fresh fruit by circulating air through it either naturally with sunshine and wind or through hot air drying. The moisture content of the evaporated fruit is cut to about 20-25%.

The nutritional value of food is only minimally affected by drying. However dried fruit generally does not contain Vitamin D and only contains small amounts of Vitamin C.

Food value of dried fruit:

drying concentrates the nutrients of the fresh fruit including protein carbohydrate (in the form of natural fruit sugar) and dietary fibre
rich in vitamins A B1 B2 B3 B6 and pantothenic acid
an abundant source of calcium iron magnesium phosphorous potassium sodium copper and manganese
contain around 60-70% natural sugars which occur in an easily digestible form (glucose and fructose) and quickly enter the bloodstream giving instant energy
low in fat

While all dried fruit is good for you dried plums are antioxidant superstars being among the highest fruits in total antioxidant activity. Antioxidants work to prevent cancer heart disease cataracts and other diseases associated with aging by mopping up the free radicals that damage cells.

Also read: Your Heart Loves Antioxidants

Generally speaking a portion of dried fruit is smaller than your fist about a quarter of a cup. If you eat much more than that at one sitting you could end up with a stomachache. That's because the digestive juices reconstitute the fruit and the consequent swelling can cause pain. This is especially true of apples and other tree fruit. (Soaking dried fruit will reconstitute it and increase its weight by four to eight times depending on the variety.)

Dried fruits are a concentrated source of dietary fiber but are also higher in calories than fresh fruits. Use dried fruits sparingly and buy ones that don't contain added sugar.

You'll find a variety of pre-packaged or bulk dried fruit at your supermarket·everything from papaya to pineapple cherries to blueberries. Don't like the taste of dried cranberries? You can now buy them artificially flavoured to taste like raspberries and strawberries! Regardless of which fruit you go for you want to make sure it is high quality. Avoid damaged or shriveled fruit. Look for fleshy fruit with uniform colour usually the bigger the better.

Preservatives

Some dried fruits such as apricots nectarines peaches and sultanas are treated with sulphur to prevent oxidation which turns them brown. Mild sulphuring also helps retain the vitamin content of the dried fruit especially vitamins A and C. While high levels of sulphur can retard kidney functioning and affect the formation of red blood corpuscles research has shown that the amount absorbed by dried fruit is quite small. Still all dried fruits even 'ready-washed' dried fruits (usually currants raisins and sultanas) are best washed well under cold running water drained of surplus water and allowed to dry thoroughly. Washing helps remove any traces of sulphur and other preservatives. It is especially important to wash dates figs and prunes.

Storage of dried fruit After opening your dried fruit you should store it in a washed and dried airtight container. Do not put new supplies on top of the old. The container keeps out any dust and germs and prevents infestation by fruit flies. It also keeps the fruit moist and soft helping it keep its colour flavour and nutritional value. Temperature is critical for storage; ideally dried fruit should be kept at the cool temperature of 10 C. Keep jars away from pungent foods such as garlic or onions. All dried fruits can be frozen and eaten later. When it comes to fruit fresh is always best. But dried fruit is a healthy alternative - one that could make it a whole lot easier for you to eat the five to ten servings of fruit and vegetables recommended in Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating.

Additional Resources:

5 to 10 a day: Are you getting enough?

Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating

Dietitians of Canada