Foods and home making

How do dried fruits compare with fresh fruits in composition ? The question may arise, Does the fruit lose any material other than water in drying? Does it lose some of its sugar? its mineral matter? its cellulose? The answer to the last three questions is “ No.” There is just as much sugar, mineral matter, and cellulose in fruit after drying as before drying. Hence a third of a pound of dried fruit contains as much sugar, mineral matter, and cellulose as a pound of fresh fruit. Dried fruits are especially valuable for their mineral matter. Although the sugar, mineral salts, and cellulose are not destroyed by drying, some of the vitamins contained in fresh fruits are prob- ably destroyed. Excepting fruits sulphured in drying, drying almost entirely destroys vitamin C. Hence dried fruits are not so valuable a source of vitamins as fresh fruits. Compare the vitamins in oranges with those in prunes and raisins. Frxjits Vitamins A B C G (see p. 37) Oranges + + + + + + + + Prunes + + + + — + + Raisins — + — + How do dried fruits compare in cost with fresh fruits ? If a pound of dried apricots of good quality can be bought for 35 cents, and a pound of fresh apricots can be bought for iS cents, one might judge from this that fresh apricots cost mucl less than dried apricots. Let us consider this matter . We have learned that after fruit is dried, it weighs only about a third as much as it did before drying. About 3 pounds of fresh apricots costing (3 X 18) 54 cents would be equivalent to 42 Breakfast one pound of dried apricots costing 35 cents. Then, too, the fresh apricots contain seeds, while the dried fruit does not. Hence we see that dried apricots are cheaper than fresh ones. It should be remembered, however, that the dried fruits are not so rich in vitamins as fresh fruits. If dried fruits are the only kind of fruit used in the winter time, care should be taken to eat some vitamin-rich foods, such as milk and leafy vegetables. Since oranges are in season in the winter time, and are one of the cheapest fruits, it is a good plan to use them along with dried fruits. Oranges, as we have learned, are rich in vitamins. (See page 41.) Fresh apricots in many localities cost more a pound than some fresh fruits, such as apples. But dried apricots are also higher in price than some of the other dried fruits. Hence we believe that the difference in price between fresh and dried apricots repre- sents somewhat the difference in price between fresh and dried fruits in general. It is usually considered that dried fruits are a cheaper source of sugar, mineral salts, and cellulose than fresh fruits. We must remember, of course, that the price of fruits differs greatly in different parts of the country. Figure 18. Utensils for Weighing and Measuring Food Before placing food in the scale pan, adjust the needle, if necessary, so that it points to zero. Often large quantities of food can be more efficiently weighed than measured. A con- tainer holding 2 cupfuls is convenient for measuring more than a cup. The Value of Dried Fruits 43 What are some points to consider in buying dried fruits?