The Benefits of Dried Fruit Baskets
Usually combined with varieties of nuts, dried fruit baskets
have become the second most popular version of the original
fresh fruit basket today. According to growers and
manufacturers, dried fruit baskets have soared in recent years
due to the amount of time one can take to consume the dried
product and still have it taste as delicious as the day it
arrived.
The most popular dried fruit baskets are composed of dried
Mediterranean apricots, California pears, Middle Eastern dates
and figs, as well as combinations of dried fruits such as
coconut/date rolls and dried pineapple rings with a dried cherry
in the middle. Another factor that has aided the dried fruit
basket reach the lofty heights of success is the healthy aspect
of dried fruits. The healthiest ones are sun dried, without the
aid of chemical agents to speed the process or preserve the
flavor and contain little or no added sugar. In addition, many
distributors of dried fruit baskets follow religious food
preparation mandates to make their products acceptable for use
as a gift on popular religious holidays such as Passover and
Ramadan.
The key to producing a quality dried fruit basket is much the
same as for a fresh fruit basket. Begin with high quality
fruits, grown under strict organic guidelines, picked at the
peak of freshness and rushed into the drying process as quickly
as possible to preserve their flavor. The additional factor, the
drying process itself, must be done in a similar high quality
manner to produce a finished product. If you visit a farm that
specializes in high quality dried fruits, you'll learn that each
fruit has its own, specific drying formula handed down from
generation to generation.
When the sun is used to dry most of the fruit, not much has
changed from the way it was done back in Biblical times. The
changes have to do with mass production of products that stress
quantity over quality. Cherries have to be pitted before they're
dried so the finished product can be eaten like a raisin.
Pineapples need a sugary glaze so the acidic component of the
fruit does not hasten decomposition. Apricots, pears, apples and
even banana slices are the driest of the dried fruits, needing
no sugary coating, but must be properly ventilated during drying
to remove all of the moisture. Drying fruit is an art more than
a science, especially when quality is the desired result.