FoodNet

Foods, their selection and preparation

1935

Page 52 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Youngberries, with sugar . . 1 qt. DRIED FRUITS Dried fruits are prepared by evaporating the water from fresh fruits. The purpose of drying is preservation, but the resulting de¬ crease in bulk also means saving in trans¬ portation and in storage cost. Drying pro¬ vides a form of fruit available at all times of the year. Methods of Drying. The fruit may be dried in the sun or dehydrated in specially constructed evaporators. These evaporators are artificially heated and the rate of move¬ ment of air over the fruit to be dried is in¬ creased by mechanical devices so that the time required for drying is much shorter and better controlled than in sun drying. The drying time also is influenced by the amount of surface exposed. To facilitate the drying, large fruits such as apples are sliced or cut in eighths, and apricots, peaches, and pears are halved. Before drying, fruits are frequently treated with sulfur dioxide in liquid or gas¬ eous form, to prevent discoloration and to soften the skins if these are retained. The amount of sulfur that can be left in the finished product is prescribed by food regu¬ lations, and dried fruits are carefully in¬ spected to see that the sulfur dioxide content is not excessive. If only a small amount is left in, it is volatilized during the cooking of the fruit. Composition and Nutritive Value. The composition of the several fruits most fre¬ quently dried is given in Table XIII. During drying, over 50 per cent of the water is removed, but practically all the other nutrients important, in the fruit remain, with the exception of vitamin C and, in some cases, vitamin A. The sulfurous acid formed during bleaching retards oxidation and thus decreases the destruction of vitamin C. During drying, the crude fiber is reduced in amount or softened; the starch is changed to sugar; the complex sugars are changed to Table XIII . Composition of Dried Fruits COMPOSITION OF EDIBLE PORTION Water Protein Fat Total Carb. Fiber Ash Fuel Value per Pound Apples . Apricots . Citron . Currants . Dates . Figs . Peaches . Pears . Prunes . Raisins . Per cent 28.1 29.4 19.0 17.2 15.4 18.8 20.0 16.5 22.3 14.6 Per cent 1.6 4.7 1.5 2.4 2.1 4.3 3.0 2.8 2.1 2.6 Per cent 2.2 1.0 1.5 1.7 2.8 .3 .6 5.43 3.3 Per cent 66.1 62.5 78.1 74.2 78.4 74.2 73.5 72.9 73.3 76.1 Per cent 3.7 Per cent .2 2.4 .9 4.5 1.3 2.4 2.87 2.4 2.3 3.4 Calories 1,350 1,290 1,487 1,495 1,615 1,475 1,413 1,635 1,400 1,605 [57] Dried Fruit Compote • A mixture of dried fruitsDried Fruit Compote makes a nutritious and attractive dessert simple sugars; and the volatile oils and ethereal bodies which give the distinctive fresh flavor to the fruit are lost. Dried fruits are important sources of minerals. The energy value per pound of dried fruit (as purchased) is four to five times that of the same weight of fresh fruit. In cooking, water is added so that the prepared fruit should approximate the fresh fruit in composition. The chief difference is in vitamin content and flavor.