What Are Freeze-Dried Fruits And How Are They Made?

Fruits are delicious and contain natural sugars, which are not only delicious, but also rich in nutrients. Nutrients such as vitamins, fiber and minerals can be found in it. Their calorie content is also very low. No wonder they are considered to be nature's healthy sweets.

Nowadays, freeze-drying technology is more advanced. Because of this, many food brands use this method to preserve food without losing nutrients. Freeze drying is different from dehydration. Dehydration only needs to remove one-third of the water, which can lead to bacterial growth and mold. Freeze drying can remove 98% of the water in fruits and vegetables.

Freeze-dried food can be restored to its original state once water is added. Because freeze-drying consumes food's moisture completely, there is almost no need to add preservatives to prevent the growth of bacteria. By using proper packaging and storage methods, freeze-dried food can be stored for a long time.

What Are Freeze-Dried Fruits And How Are They Made?

The freeze-drying process is completed by sublimation. It is done by first freezing the fruit and then placing it under vacuum pressure. This will cause ice crystals to rise, quickly changing them from solid ice to steam. This process will remove moisture more effectively than old-fashioned drying.

Without affecting the structure of the fruit, it concentrates and preserves the moisture and nutritional value of the fruit. This makes this food preservation technology mainly suitable for soft fruits with relatively low sugar content.

How Does Freeze-Dried Fruit Compare To Frozen And Dried Fruit In Terms Of Nutrition?

Ideally, eating fresh fruits or those unprocessed fruits is the right approach. However, people choose dried fruits and freeze-dried fruits for convenience.

Lindsey Kane, a researcher at Sun Basket, explained that frozen and freeze-dried fruits are quick-frozen and freeze-dried immediately after harvest to lock in all the nutrients they have. This is why dried fruits and freeze-dried fruits are more nutritious than fresh fruits.

Generally, freezing is an excellent way to preserve nutrients compared to other technologies such as canning and refrigeration. This is mainly due to the shorter heat treatment time for bleaching food before freezing, while the heat treatment time in canned food is longer.

Freeze drying is a more effective way of removing water than traditional drying methods. Just like freezing, it helps preserve nutrients. Since freeze-dried fruits contain less water than fresh fruits, you may end up eating more than fresh fruits, which means more nutrients.