Dried Fruit Information, Wholesale in Bulk

Sulfured Dried Fruits

Bulk Fruits are sulfured with sulfur dioxide (so2) or meta bisulfate to keep them from oxidizing during and after the drying process. This preserves their original color. When fruits are dried with no sulfur they oxidize and change to a brown to black color as they dry. Golden raisins are always sulfured and that is why they are golden in color. Typically all white, yellow and orange colored fruits have been sulfured. You may sometimes see sulfur spelled sulphur. An international symposium recently decided for sulfur to be the official English spelling. Fruits are sulfured by putting them into a room in which the mineral rock sulfur is burned to produce sulfur dioxide gas which permeates the fruits. Fruits that are sulfured are Orange Apricots, Light Brown Calimyrna Figs, Cantaloupe, Crystallized Ginger, Golden Raisins, Mango, Papaya, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple. Order Dried Fruits

Unsulfured Dried Fruits

Fruits that generally have no sulfur added are Brown Apricots, Blueberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Currants, Dates, Black Mission Figs, Turkish Figs, Prunes, and Black Raisins.

Drying Methods

For many thousands of years people have dried fruits to be able to keep them for long periods of time. There are many ways to dry fruits. Some of the most common are described below. 

Sun Dried Fruits

The fruits are laid out in the sunshine to dry. Larger fruits being cut in half so they will dry faster. 

Fruits typically dried this way are apricots, currants, figs, peaches, pears, prunes and raisins. 

Air Dried or Tunnel Dried Fruits

The fruit has warm air blown over it to dry it. Fruits typically dried in this way are apples, coconut, raisins and tomatoes. Fruit dried this way typically does not oxidize as much as fruit that is sun dried. 

Dried Fruits Infused with Sugar

The fruit is cut and peeled then placed in a tub or large container. Water is heated and as much sugar as possible is dissolved into the water. The tubs of fruit are then covered with the 30-60% (Bricks) sugar syrup and let set for around seven days. During these seven days the sugar water exchanges with the lower viscosity water in the fruit and  the water from the fruit is thereby extracted. Once the fruits are partially dried this way then they are air dried to complete the drying process. Fruits typically dried this way are blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, ginger, mango, papaya, pineapple and strawberries.

Naturally dried fruits

Fruits naturally dry on the trees before they are harvested. Dates are technically considered a fresh fruit rather than a dried fruit as they dry on the trees before harvesting. 

Fruits Dried by Frying

The fruits are fried in oil to raise the temperature of the water in the fruit to rapidly boil away. This is done with starchy foods typically vegetables (potato chips). Bananas and plantains are dried this way before the fruits have ripened and their starches are turned into sugar. 

See Also: Apricots . Figs . Prunes . Raisins . Information . Order Dried Fruits