What is With Dried Fruit?

One of the easiest ways to enjoy fruit on the go, especially in seasons when fresh fruit is scarce...is to eat it dried. The thing is that most dried fruit is processed with sulpher dioxide in order to make it last longer. The bright orange apricots you find in most bulk stores are high in sulfites, which are used to keep their colour bright but is also very congestive and can be linked to allergies, asthma and skin problems.

Choosing organic in dried fruit is important to ensure you are getting just fruit. Let's go back to apricots for the moment. Organic apricots are brownish in colour and taste like...wait for it..APRICOTS. Try a conventional dried mango and an organic dried mango - the difference is obvious!

my friend Rosie enjoys some organic dried blueberries.

You can dry your own fruit...all you need is some patience, or a dehydrator. Most of us don't have the dehydration device, so let's find other ways. You can use your oven, or the sun.

Basically in order to preserve the fruit's colour, you need to dip it in something to trick it into thinking it's not dried. You can use honey or simply blanch the fruit first. This seems silly to me since fruit is fruit and whether it's fresh or dried, it still tastes yum. I tend to forget the dipping and let the fruit dry where it may.

Oven Drying
Preheat oven to 145 degrees, propping door open with wooden spoon to allow steam to escape.
Place fruit directly on racks. Allow 4 to 12 hours to dry the fruit.
Food should be dry but pliable when cool. Test a few pieces to see if the batch is ready

This can be a big waste of energy...not to mention the time it takes up. Summer time is too hot to leave an oven on for 12 hours!

Sun Drying
Spread on screen for two to four days, turning slices over half way through the drying process. Bring inside at night to keep dew from collecting on the fruit and ofcourse to keep animals from getting it. This method works best in climates with high heat and low humidity. Do this in the crazy summer's heat. I think this is a fun way for kids to learn patience for food, or to have a project they can check on.
Store them in ziploc bags or a lidded container (make sure you stir them up often)

I post this now even though SUMMER FRUIT IS ALMOST HERE!! We can have fresh fruit til the day is long. Yahoo!

New recpies soon...
Take care,
The Nutritionista