Dried fruit

[freedom_commonsense]

Worth the premium? Or am I just wasting money?

[Freeski]

Worth the premium? Or am I just wasting money?

Excellent question.

[freedom_commonsense]

Excellent question.

Is that a yes, no, maybe?  As it stands, you may as well have posted +1. The thread isn't that old that it needs bumping 

[seven_deviations]

sulphur dioxide is used on dried fruit to retain color.  It is up to you to decide if this is something you wish to ingest.  When drying your own fruit, every recipe I have read says to dunk them into lemon juice first.

I freeze or can my garden surplus.

[freedom_commonsense]

sulphur dioxide is used on dried fruit to retain color.  It is up to you to decide if this is something you wish to ingest.  When drying your own fruit, every recipe I have read says to dunk them into lemon juice first.

I freeze or can my garden surplus.

On all dried fruit globally, or in the US? Can you provide a source for this, I'm curious as to where you discovered that?

[wvoutlaw2002]

Just get a food dehydrator and make your own dried fruits from organic fruits. You should be able to find a Popeil electric food dehydrator for dirt cheap.

[freedom_commonsense]

Just get a food dehydrator and make your own dried fruits from organic fruits. You should be able to find a Popeil electric food dehydrator for dirt cheap.

I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

[donnay]

Just get a food dehydrator and make your own dried fruits from organic fruits. You should be able to find a Popeil electric food dehydrator for dirt cheap.

I have a Nesco FD-35 425W Snackmaster Entree Dehydrator Comes with 5 Trays.  They are fairly cheap under $50.00

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=American+harvest+dehydrator&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=1738343362883672271&ei=tSZsTOnqGsH7lwe-68Rl&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CFAQ8wIwBA#

[Blows Against the Empire]

On all dried fruit globally, or in the US? Can you provide a source for this, I'm curious as to where you discovered that?

www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=3

Individual Concerns

Dried Apricots and Sulfites

Commercially grown dried apricots may be treated with sulfur dioxide gas during processing. They may also be treated with sulfites to extend their shelf life.

Sulfur-containing compounds are often added to dried foods like apricots as preservatives to help prevent oxidation and bleaching of colors. The sulfites used to help preserve dried apricots cause adverse reactions in an estimated one out of every 100 people, who turn out to be sulfite sensitive.

Just searched 'Dried Apricots' 

[Blows Against the Empire]

If you are going to get into it big time to stash an emergency supply:

www.dryit.com

They are not particularly cheap. I had a 'Living Foods Dehydrator' I bought in the late'70's -early'80's. I loved it and highly recommend it for the serious gardener-food preserver.

Moving to a city where I have no room for a garden in 1990, I passed it on to a friend.

[freedom_commonsense]

www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=3

Individual Concerns

Dried Apricots and Sulfites

Commercially grown dried apricots may be treated with sulfur dioxide gas during processing. They may also be treated with sulfites to extend their shelf life.

Sulfur-containing compounds are often added to dried foods like apricots as preservatives to help prevent oxidation and bleaching of colors. The sulfites used to help preserve dried apricots cause adverse reactions in an estimated one out of every 100 people, who turn out to be sulfite sensitive.

Just searched 'Dried Apricots' 

I check labels 

I'll go with the dehydrator machine I think...

[Blows Against the Empire]

I'm a great label reader too. I was aware of the dried apricot thing because of it.

I just always try to throw info out in replies that any reader may find useful.

[freedom_commonsense]

I'm a great label reader too. I was aware of the dried apricot thing because of it.

I just always try to throw info out in replies that any reader may find useful.

Sure, I knew about those preservatives, just not that they'd also be used in dried fruit for no real reason. Do the Ugandans use it? 

The northern hemisphere's climate isn't conducive to all year-round fruit growing either, which complicates things.