How to Buy Dried Fruit

How to Buy Dried Fruit

As a child, my only

exposure to dried fruit was in the fruitcake my aunt would make every year

around the holidays and the braided sweet bread my grandmother lovingly

prepared for the same season. For me, those sickly sweet, artificially colored

bits of stickiness were enough to turn me off to dried fruit for decades. Then

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as an adult, I joined a natural foods cooperative and someone handed me a dried

mango during a food demonstration. That’s when I discovered what dried fruit is

supposed to look and taste like, and the difference was amazing. Read more about artificial colors

By that time, grandma had

passed on and my aunt didn’t make holiday

fruitcakes anymore. Personally I’m not much

of a baker, so I probably won’t be trying my aunt’s recipe. But when I want a

nutritious, convenient and tasty treat, there’s nothing quite like dried fruit.

So what should you look for when buying dried fruit?

It’s really quite simple.

First of all, just about every common fruit-and some not so common ones-are

available in dried form. From apples and bananas to goji

berries and jack fruit, you can pamper your taste

buds. There are at least as many different types of dried fruit as there are

days in a month, so you can try a different one every day and find your

favorites.

Second, and most important,

read the label. Look for organic (non-GMO) brands, whether you are buying the

fruit packaged from a store or online or from a bulk foods bin. The only words

appearing after “Ingredients” on the label should be “organic” and the name of

the fruit. Period.

Read more about why you should avoid GMOs

Some brands of dried fruit

have added sugars and sulfites,

a preservative that can appear on packaging under a variety of names. One label

I recently examined from a large retailer, for example, listed dried mango

followed by powdered sugar (sugar and cornstarch), sugar, and sodium

metabisulfite. This latter ingredient is a type of sulfite and is also used as

a bleaching agent in the making of paper and textiles and in wine

making.

Metabisulfite may cause

breathing difficulties and other allergic reactions in people who have asthma

or who are sensitive to sulfites. Another common sulfite found in dried fruits

is sulfur

dioxide, which can cause similar adverse reactions.

According to the Food and

Drug Administration (FDA), any food or beverage that

contains 10 parts per million of sulfites must state on its label that the item

contains the preservative, but the amount does not have to be given. You can

avoid any worries by simply purchasing 100% natural organic dried fruits.

Another option is to make your own organic dried

fruit.

One benefit of

preservatives is that they extend the shelf life of foods. Although it’s true

organic dried fruits will not last as long on your pantry shelf as the ones

that contain preservatives, store any excess in tightly sealed freezer bags and

put them in the freezer for up to 12 months. Chances are you’ll finish your

dried fruit long before that time is up!

Photo Credit: FraserElliot

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Deborah Mitchell
Deborah is a freelance health writer who is passionate about animals and the environment. She has authored, co-authored, and written more than 50 books and thousands of articles on a wide range of topics. Currently, she lives in Tucson, Arizona.