dried fruit

Organic Dried Fruit at Naturally Good Food

We like to offer a full range of dried fruit, most of which are to Soil Association Organic standard. We pack a great deal of dried fruit ourselves and can offer many size combinations, with a standard 10% case discount on all purchases.

Included in our dried fruit range are :

In addition in this section we also have Chrystallised Ginger, Mixed Peel and Mixed Fruit. Our full listing of dried fruit is contained on this page, just scroll up for the product range and down for a quick guide to the dried fruit on offer, if you just want to see our bulk or whole range of dried fruit.

Dried Fruit in Cakes

There is nothing quite like a piece of home made fruit cake with a cup of tea in the afternoon. With our wide range of organic dried fruit you can make the cake that is just right for you, and with our mixed fruit you have a ready selection of the best in dried fruit. On the recipe page you will find some good recipe ideas for you to try.

Naturally Good Food Guide to Organic Dried Fruit

Drying is the oldest process of preserving food and with organic dried fruit that is all you are getting the dried fruit without sulphur dioxide. The other important element of course is that the fruit is organic, drying fruit was developed in the time when only organic fruit was available. This is important if you remember that much of the conventional fruit we eat still has pesticide residues on the skin in many dried fruits you are eating the skin and much of the pesticides residues or contaminates are left on the skins of the fruit.

One of the great things with organic dried fruit is that you can enjoy fruit from around the world all year around. As the fruit is not air freighted the environmental impact is much less and if you choose the Fairtrade option you are helping development.

Dried fruit like fresh fruit can be rich in vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese).

Dried fruit may have a more intensive flavour than fresh fruit due to the lack of water.

Organic Dried Fruit as part of Your Five a Day

Eating dried fruit can count as part of your five a day, the UK Foods Standard Agency say "Dried fruit, including raisins, is a healthy choice if you want a snack because it's full of fibre and vitamins and counts towards your daily fruit and veg portions. Prunes and dried apricots contain beta-carotene, while figs, prunes, raisins, sultanas and dried apricots are good sources of iron."

The most recent research whilst suggesting that eating five a day only cuts down the risk of cancer by about 2.5% the data still suggests fruit and vegetables may provide protection against cardiovascular disease. Cancer UK concluded "It's still a good idea to eat your five-a-day but remember that fruits and vegetables are pieces in a much larger lifestyle jigsaw".

How big a portion counts

Again the UK Foods Standard Agency gives some good advice " a portion of dried fruit is smaller than a portion of fresh fruit. Half to one tablespoon of raisins counts as one portion of fruit and veg."

Organic Dried Fruit as a Snack

If you are trying to loose weight then snacking can be a major problem, try loosing those unhealthy snacks and substitute dried fruit. Dried fruit unlike fresh fruit is always available travels well and you can keep in your desk or bag. If you choose the organic option then it is less likely to have added sugar. Changing your snacking habit is only a small change, but it could make a big difference to you health.

Eat Food not supplements

It is important to eat food and not rely on supplements for your nutrition, so eating dried fruit as part of a balance diet can be important. UK cancer research reports "There is strong evidence that the nutrients in fruit and vegetables do not reduce the risk of cancer when they are taken as supplements. High doses of supplements could even have harmful effects." The other important point to make is supplements are boring, but food is fun!

A guide to individual fruits, including our great range of organic dried fruit :

	Dried Apple Rings - Crazy Jack Organic apples are naturally a bit darker than conventional apples as they have not been treated with additives to preserve the colour. They are great for snacking on straight from the pack, or when used in cooking they add sweetness to a dish, alternatively they can be soaked and used as compote. Because they have been dried they tend to hold their shape quite well once cooked and do not “mash” easily like fresh apple.
	Dried Apricots - All our dried apricots are organic, there are three options you can have our own packed organic in various sizes or alternatively we stock the Crazy Jack Apricots, both the traditional and the “Ready to Eat” range. As all our dried Apricots are organic they are naturally dark as they have not been treated with sulphur dioxide as a preservative. The result is all our Apricots have the rich, dark and intense flavor of a naturally dried apricot. They are delicious, sweet and full of flavor. Dried naturally in the sun they have a firm texture and are delicious for snacks, keep them in an desk for a mid morning snack or take them out in the fresh air. Our apricots are a good source of fibre. Dried organic apricots are much closer to fresh apricots than conventional dried apricots, so move to the organic dried fruit aisle and you will appreciate the difference.
	Dried Bananas - we sell both organic and non-organic banana chips, our organic banana chip are from Crazy Jack and are unsweetened and air dried. The other option is the Tropical Wholefoods Fair Trade Chewy Banana chips, these again are air dried and being Fair Trade you know the producers are getting a fair price.
	Dried Blueberries - we stock both own packed blueberries which we source from Community Foods and Crazy Jack apricots, both options are organic growing in cold wet, northern climates and can endure temperatures as low as -20°C. The blueberries are natural, small dark berries with a strong, intense flavour. They are a favourite snack of bears, birds and other creatures including humans! Sugar has been added to preserve the fruit and keep it soft enough to eat straight from the pack. Without sugar the blueberries would be dry and hard. Dried blueberries are a good store cupboard dried fruit.
	Cherries - if cake baking is your thing then we have some great glace cherries both organic and non-organic. The Crazy Jack Organic Glacé Cherries are infused with Organic sugar to preserve them – they have no added colours, so are not the typical bright red colour that you would expect from other sources, but perfect for putting on top of black forest gateauxÂ’s. We also stock conventional glace cherries in a variety of sizes.
	Dried Cranberries - Cranberries are well known for their health benefits, especially their antioxidant properties, our conventionally produced cranberries are available in large bags making them especially good value. Our organic cranberries come from Crazy Jack and are produced in the USA and Canada. Grown organically and dried whole, these berries differ from berried offered by many other suppliers as they are not squeezed to extract the juice before they are dried! This accounts for the dark colour of our cranberries, and the great flavour. It also ensures they are as nutritionally beneficial as they should be.
	Currants - Currants are one of the basic dried fruits we are all accustomed to. At Naturally Good Food we stock Crazy Jack Organic Currants, these come from their traditional home in Greece, around Vostizza, where the finest currants are prepared. Currants are grown from dark red grape varieties and contain very tiny seeds. The dried fruit is very small, wrinkled and black in colour, the flavour is absolutely gorgeous and unlike any other! Crazy Jack Currants are not as sweet as a raisin or sultana but have a more perfumed flavour. We also stock our own packed currants which are all organic and great value.
	Dates - Dates are grown in very dry climates and are an incredibly resilient plant. In addition to being high in fibre, dates also rich in calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper, magnesium. As dates are easily digested they give a quick release of energy, they are also well known for their laxative properties. Dates can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, use them to add texture and flavour. Chopped dates also help retain moisture in cake mixes. Putting your dates in the freezer for an hour before you need to chop them make them much easier to use. All the dates we sell are organic, we have our own packed in a variety of sizes and of course the Crazy Jack dates.
	Figs - like dates figs are a very versatile fruit and can be used in sweet and savoury dishes, dried figs are much easier than fresh figs as they are much more robust, also in the UK fresh figs are not always available. As dried figs are much bigger than much most other dried fruit they can be easily stuffed with nuts or honey. Dried figs can be added to muffins, cakes and muesli bars. Figs are high in natural simple sugars, minerals and fibre, they are high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. Our dried figs are available in our own packs and also the ready to eat option from Crazy Jack.
	Dried Mango - Mangoes are one of the most widely grown of tropical fruits and come in a great variety of flavours, at Naturally Good Food we stock the Crazy Jack Organic Mango which comes from Burkina Faso – one of the worldÂ’s financially poorest nations, with severe drought and soil erosion problems. Crazy Jack have a project working there which has helped set up some drying ovens for their Mango. We use just one variety of mango for Crazy Jack Organic (Brooks variety), which is perfumes and sweet, without too much acid and no soapiness. The mango is simply picked when it is very ripe, washed, peeled, sliced by hand and dried on racks. ThatÂ’s it – no colours, preservatives, flavours or added sugar. Crazy Jack mango will vary in colour and flavour from season to season because the fruit is not processed it to make its appearance uniform (some suppliers add sugar, which masks any variance in flavour, and add colour to ensure a uniform colour – we do not.) We also stock the Tropical Wholefoods Mango which again comes from Burkina Faso.
	Dried Pineapple - as with the dried Mango we stock both Crazy Jack and Tropical Wholefoods dried pineapple. Crazy Jack Organic Pineapple comes mainly from Sri Lanka, they also source from the Far East and are looking at trying to set up a project in Kenya. The pineapple is dried without adding sugar and without any preservatives, so it is darker than conventional pineapple and having no added sugar is not so sweet but does tastes of pineapple. Crazy Jack are always looking for good ripe pineapples, plenty of colour in the fruit and flavour as the essential criteria. Because the product is dried naturally and the fruit varies from season to season, our pineapple will vary in taste and flavour but will always be very good. The Tropical Wholefoods Sun Dried Pineapple are made from Smooth Cayenne pineapples. They are finely sliced and dried in solar driers and are 100% sugar and sulphur free. Their flavour is sweet and zingy. Excellent for the digestion too.
	Prunes - Prunes are dried plums, but not all plums can become prunes. To become a prune a plum need to have a soft, thin and sweet skin, in addition the fruit needs to be full of natural sugar so that it will preserve well when dried. We choose larger prunes so that you get a naturally sweet fruit with a soft texture. The combination of fibre, natural sugars, and antioxidants in prunes, as well as their great flavour, make them a superb healthy snack for you. We sell both natural dried prunes and the Crazy Jack soft “Ready to Eat” prune which has a higher moisture content. Our prunes do not contain any artificial preservatives such as Potassium Sorbate, which can be found on conventional prunes. Dried prunes are a good source of fibre and have a strong “humectant” –meaning water absorbing- effect. This means that not only are they good for the digestion, but with the combination of sugars and soluble fibre, they make an excellent fat replacement in baking.
	Raisins - Raisins are dried grapes and it takes about 4½ kg of grapes to produce 1 about 1kg of raisins. Our dark raisins are dried directly in the sun, this turns the sugars in the grapes a dark colour and gives the raisins a rich caramel flavour. Our raisins are lightly oiled to ensure a free flowing fruit.
	Sultanas - we stock the Crazy Jack Sultanas which are sourced from Turkey and come in 375g packs, or if you you want a larger pack size we have our own Sultanas packed to Soil Association Organic Standard in a variery of sizes up to 12.5kg.
	Dried Mixed Fruit - our organic mixed fruit is ideal for baking containing a mix of the finest sultanas, raisins and currants. If you don't bake on a regular basis or you don't want to mix your own fruiy the mixed fruit is the answer as it is ready to bake straight from the pack.
	Mixed Peel  - our organic mixed peel comes from Crazy Jack. Crazy Jack Mixed Peel is a combination of finely diced lemon and orange peel, preserved in syrup. It contains no added colours, flavours or preservatives and is mainly used as a baking ingredient in cake mixes. The lemon peel comes from Sicily and the orange peel is either from Spain or Brazil. In addition we pack our own non-organic mixed peel, if you want larger quantities of mixed peel please let us know.
	Ginger - Crystallised ginger makes a great snack especially if you feel a bit queasy, we stock both organic ginger and non-organic ginger so you have the choice.

Dried Fruit Producers

In the UK we are among the worlds largest producers on dried fruit, both in total volume and in terms of consumption per head. Therefore we have the possibility to influence the rest of the world as much of the dried fruit we eat is imported. So if you have the choice :

• Eat Organic Dried Fruit
• Eat Fairtrade Dried Fruit

At Naturally Good Food we like to offer both these options.

If you want some Organic Dried fruit recipe ideas why not look on our recipe pages, here you will find some interesting ideas of what to cook. Among the ones you might want to consider are :

Organic Dried Fruit Hints and Tips

Listed below you will find some hints on tips for working with organic dried fruit, but remember don't forget the taste. 

• Crazy Jack Apple Rings are they are superb added to water when boiling cabbage and served with roast pork. 
• If you make a gingerbread man, then make sure he has the real thing – why not use currants for his eyes and buttons!
• Chopping dates Place your dates in the freezer for an hour beforehand to make them easier to chop. Dip your knife in hot water from time to time to stop them sticking.
• Making Date Paste;- Place dates in a bowl, cover with hot water, leave overnight, drain off excess water, then blend to make the paste.
• Apricots may be substituted for their cousins peaches and nectarines in most recipes, so feel free to experiment.
• Dried cherries keep cakes, muffins, and cookies moist. For easier chopping, use an oiled knife or blade.
• To soften fruit quickly, use steam. Rinse pieces with water and place no more than 2 layers on a steaming rack over about 1 inch of boiling water. Cover pan and steam fruit until soft.
• Larger fruits such as apricots, may need some dicing so that the fruit is bite-sized and mixes well into a batter.
• Dried blueberries and apples can be added to pancake batter for a taste bested only by fresh fruit.
• Chopped dates can help retain moisture in cake mixes. Chop and add to porridge before cooking to add flavour andsweetness.
• If you are a keen runner, cyclist or hill walker and plan to go out for an hour or more you should look to take onboard carbohydrates instead of the normal sports drink you could try home made flapjacks or dried fruit.
  

If you have any ideas or hints you think we might add to our section on organic dried fruit hints please let us know. 

Dried fruit news from Naturally Good Food

Back to School Wholefood Organic Tips

Ten Tips for a Wholefood Holiday

Even the Daily Mail thinks Organic Dried Fruit is better

Crazy Jack Apricots Win Award

Make your own organic muesli