Freeze Dried Fruits are fruits that have gone through the process of removing water from their frozen state to extend their shelf life. Common freeze-dried fruits include bananas, strawberries, and dragon fruits. However, how do they compare to their fresh counterparts?
Nutritional content
You may be concerned with how healthy freeze-dried fruits are compared to fresh fruits. Well, these are the differences between them as shown below.
As from the list above, both Fresh Bananas and Freeze-Dried Bananas contain similar amounts of nutrients.
Vitamin C is crucial for strengthening the immune system and fibre helps to promote healthy bowel movements in the body. Calcium helps to ensure strong bones and teeth in the body, and iron helps the transportation of oxygen in the body. All these will help to ensure that your body is healthy.
As indicated from the nutrient level, 100g of freeze-dried strawberries are more nutrient dense than 100g of strawberries, thus allowing you to consume more nutrients without the added sodium and saturated fats.
Convenience
How to store:
Fresh Fruit usually lasts for a few days and has to be put in the fridge to extend its shelf life. However, Freeze Dried Fruits already have a long shelf life and can be stored virtually anywhere – on the coffee table, in the kitchen, or the storeroom, and it will still be good to eat.
How to serve:
Fresh fruits may require washing, cutting or peeling before serving but freeze dried fruits can be consumed on the go without prior preparation.
Taste and Texture
Fresh Fruits are usually juicier and softer to the taste while freeze-dried fruits are sweeter and crunchier.
Fresh Bananas have a subtly sweet taste and are soft upon biting into, whereas for Freeze Dried Bananas, the sweet taste is amplified (as the sugar is not diluted as the water has been taken out) and there is a satisfying crunch as one bite into it.
Fresh Strawberries would taste juicy and sweet with a slight tinge of acidity, with just a little bit of crunch, whereas Freeze Dried Strawberries are crunchier and sweeter, and less juicy as well.
If you add water to the freeze-dried fruits, then the hard freeze-dried fruits will revert to their soft form, and the water will be infused with the fruit’s flavour as well!
Cost
Fresh Fruits in Singapore are generally affordable. For example, a bunch of bananas in a supermarket would cost around 3 dollars, while a pack of freeze-dried bananas from “Gracious Goodness” would cost around 6 dollars.
This is relatively cheap when compared to other companies’ freeze-dried fruits.
In addition, Gracious Goodness’ Freeze Dried Fruits are made with 100% pure fruits with no additives to taste, colour and texture, and the fruits are sourced from trusted farms in Thailand.
How to incorporate them into dishes
Besides eating them on their own, Freeze Dried Fruits can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.
Freeze-Dried Bananas can be used to make homemade banana muffins, a sweet and delicious hot treat enjoyed by both children and adults.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries can be used to make strawberry shortcake cookies! They are easy to make and carry around. The freeze-dried strawberries amplify the flavour of the strawberries, making this an indulgent treat for everyone to enjoy.
Summary
While the cost might be slightly higher than fresh fruits, freeze-dried fruits are certainly more convenient to bring around and eat, whilst providing sweeter flavours and extra crunch without compromising any nutritional value.
Where to get
Gracious Goodness Natural Freeze Dried Fruits (freeze dried fruits page)
NTUC
Sources:
Bartoul, L. (2020, February 3). Freeze dried fruit: 7 benefits for you. Freshly Preserved. Retrieved November 24, 2022, from https://freshlypreserved.com/blogs/nutrition/7-excellent-benefits-you-should-know-about-freeze-dried-fruits
Bjarnadottir, A. (2019, March 27). Strawberries 101: Nutrition Facts and health benefits. Healthline. Retrieved November 24, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/strawberries#nutrition
Brothers-All-Natural. (2022, April 20). Banana muffins with freeze-dried bananas. Brothers All Natural Blog. Retrieved November 24, 2022, from https://blog.brothersallnatural.com/banana-muffins-with-freeze-dried-bananas/
Gabby. (2022, June 22). Strawberry shortbread cookies. Cookie Dough Diaries. Retrieved November 24, 2022, from https://thecookiedoughdiaries.com/strawberry-shortbread-cookies
