Historical Dried Fruit and Nut Candy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What was dried fruit in ancient times? ›

Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized because of its sweet taste, nutritive value, and long shelf life. Today, dried fruit consumption is widespread.

Candying fruit began as a means of preservation, like drying. But unlike the process of drying, in which liquid is taken away (think of raisins for example), candying involves an elegant transfusion. Over time, and at repeated intervals, liquid within the fruit is replaced with sugar syrup.

The earliest documents about, and recipes for, dried fruit were found in Mesopotamia as clay tablets dating to about 1700 BC. Most of the 300 recipes on the tablets show dried fruit being used in bread, pastries, spiced cakes, and with cooked grains and beans.

Consumer market. Out of the dried fruits available, U.S. consumers ate raisins more than any other fruit.

Drying: Pioneers would hang food up to dry. Taking the moisture out of the food helps make it last longer. Pioneers would string foods up close to the fire where the heat from the fire would help dry them out, or they could place some food outside, and the heat from the sun would dry things out.

Raisins are the most common type, followed by dates, prunes, figs and apricots. Other varieties of dried fruit are also available, sometimes in candied form (sugar coated). These include mangoes, pineapples, cranberries, bananas and apples.

But when you dry fresh fruit, you lose the water, which concentrates the sugar and makes every bite sweeter — with more sugar than marshmallows, cup for cup. This absolutely does not mean that marshmallows are healthier than raisins, as dried fruit still contains more fiber and nutrients than straight-up candy.

Fruits which are commonly candied include cherries, pineapple, greengages, pears, peaches and melon, as well as ginger root. The principal candied peels are orange and citron; these, together with candied lemon peel, are the usual ingredients of mixed chopped peel.

The process allows for better retention of certain vitamins, such as thiamin and vitamin C. In addition, freeze-dried fruit is rarely produced with added sugar, whereas some forms of dried fruit often have sugar added to them. Freeze-drying increases the shelf life of fruit beyond 25 years.

Almonds are known as the 'king' of dry fruits. They are loaded with nutrients. One ounce of almonds contains almost 165 calories, 6 grams of proteins and carbohydrates, 14 grams of fat and about 3 grams of fibre.

Which dry fruit is sold the most? ›

Dried grapes are the biggest sellers. This includes sultanas, currants and raisins. In some countries, dates are slightly more popular even than dried grapes.

Some of the healthiest options with the most nutritional value include raisins, apricots, prunes and dates. But note that dried fruit may contain added sugar so opt for ones without as a healthier alternative.

What is dried fruit, and is it healthy? Adding dried fruits like raisins, prunes, and dates to your diet is a delicious and reliable way to ensure you're eating a nutritious snack. Dried fruits that are healthiest include apricots, prunes, raisins, and others.

Generally speaking, some of the best-dried fruits for longevity are mangos, figs, dried plums or prunes, raisins, and blueberries. These will last for up to one year when stored correctly. Fruits like jackfruit have a year shelf life if kept away from heat, moisture, and oxygen and properly stored.

There's evidence that several of the fruits we enjoy eating today have been around for millennia in much the same form. For example, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of 780,000-year-old figs at a site in Northern Israel, as well as olives, plums, and pears from the paleolithic era.

The earliest curing was actually dehydration. Early cultures used salt to help desiccate foods. Salting was common and even culinary by choosing raw salts from different sources (rock salt, sea salt, spiced salt, etc.).

Some civilizations, such as those in cool, wet Europe, had to use tools like ovens to accomplish the task. Others, namely those in hotter, drier climates, could rely on the sun and hot air to dehydrate their food. The Ancient Egyptians, for example, would leave out fish and poultry to dry in the hot Egyptian sun.

Ambrosia was also the magical fruit of the gods in ancient Greek mythology. The gods on Mount Olympus ate ambrosia to maintain immortality and without it, they became weak.