Foods, their selection and preparation

The stable form and comparatively low cost of dried fruits make them useful at times of the year when supplies of fresh fruit are limited and in markets where fresh fruits are not available. Their small bulk and good keeping qualities make them valuable forms of fruit in remote places and on long expeditions. They are useful for eating as they are, as additions to cereal dishes, breads, and cakes, or stewed in sauces. Selection and Buying. Raisins, prunes, peaches, apples, and apricots are the dried fruits produced in the United States in largest quantity. Others which are available are currants, dates, and figs. While all these kinds can be produced here, special varieties of some of them are available only by import. About 95 per cent of the dried-fruit industry in the United States is concentrated in the Pacific Coast states. Price is determined by the grade and the type of fruit and by the size of the package. Higher prices are justified for sanitary handling and packaging, but there is no justification for the fancy packages sometimes seen in the market. Dried fruits are graded according to quality and size. Dried apples, apricots, peaches, and pears are designated as Extra Fancy, Fancy, Extra Choice, Choice, and Standard. The Extra Fancy is the largest, most uniform, cleanest, and therefore the best fruit. It is also the most expensive. Figs may be obtained as Fancy, Choice, and Standard. Prunes are graded according to the number in a pound and are known as "20-30’s,” "30-40’s,” and so on to "90- 100’s.” Large prunes have a larger per¬ centage of edible prune meat in a pound than small prunes. However, the price of the medium-to-small ones may be enough lower to make them the more economical buy. Preparation and Cooking. The first step in the preparation of dried fruits is the clean¬ ing. There are many opportunities for contamination unless the fruit is put up in steri¬ lized packages. If dried fruit is to be eaten without cooking it should be sterilized by pouring boiling water over it. A strainer should be used for this purpose. The aim in cooking dried fruit is to replace the water lost in drying. After being washed, prunes and peaches should be soaked for a short time in enough hot water to cover until they are plumped to almost their original size. Then they should be cooked slowly in the same water. As this water con¬ tains soluble nutrients from the fruit, it should not be discarded. Dried fruits which are softer than peaches or prunes or specially treated dried fruits are cooked without previous soaking. The cooking water is always served with the fruit. Sugar may or may not be added, accord¬ ing to individual taste and the needs of the particular fruit. When sugar is used, it should be added at the end of the cooking period so as not to toughen the peel or inter¬ fere with the absorption of water by the fruit. Dried fruits have a variety of uses in meal preparation, from the uncooked fruits and simple sauces to pies, puddings, whips, frozen desserts, cakes, and candies. Their form adapts them to use in places where fresh fruits cannot be used. The sweet flavor of many dried fruits makes them acceptable substitutes for candy in the diets of children, with a great advantage from the standpoint of nutritive value.