PREMIUM FREEZE-DRIED FRUIT VS. FRESH FRUIT
Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day are considered one of the foundations of a healthy diet – this is supported by scientists and reflected in healthy eating guidelines and food pyramids. Naturally, these recommendations primarily refer to fresh fruit.
The superiority of fresh fruit over processed fruit is difficult to dispute – but under one important condition: the comparison is made during the natural growing season.
In season, we can buy fruit grown relatively close to us. Fruit that has been allowed to ripen naturally. Fruit whose journey from the plant to our plate has been short. Fruit that has not required special stabilisation or preservation methods simply to withstand long-distance transport.
Fresh fruit available out of season often travels to us from distant, sometimes very distant, parts of the world. To prevent premature spoilage, it is frequently harvested before reaching full ripeness and therefore benefits less from natural sunlight during the final stages of development. Before reaching our tables, it may spend a considerable amount of time in transport.
If we expect such fruit to contain all the valuable nutrients and qualities associated with fruit harvested and consumed in season, we may be disappointed. The same applies to flavour – out-of-season fresh fruit often simply does not taste the way naturally ripened seasonal fruit does.
Fresh fruit transported over long distances outside its natural season may also seem at odds with health- and sustainability-oriented concepts such as “eat naturally” and “eat locally”. Advocates of the “eat local” approach, including some nutrition professionals, emphasise the value of eating foods that grow close to where we live and form part of our traditional diet.
The season for exceptionally valuable berries in Poland is relatively short. We should therefore make the most of it by enjoying fresh Polish raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and other locally grown berries. Whenever possible, it is worth choosing fruit from organic cultivation.
Outside the season, freeze-dried berries can provide a convenient alternative.
Freeze-drying is a process that makes it possible to preserve a very high proportion of what is valuable in fresh fruit: vitamins, minerals, nutrients and biologically active compounds.
There is, however, one important condition: the freeze-drying process must be carried out correctly, without technological shortcuts and without microwave-assisted final drying. At Lioforte, a carefully controlled process carried out in accordance with the principles of proper freeze-drying technology is what we call premium freeze-drying.
And one final point: freeze-dried fruit can, of course, also be eaten during the fresh-fruit season. It is an excellent option, for example, when going on a longer trip where transporting fresh fruit or washing it properly may be inconvenient.
PREMIUM FREEZE-DRIED FRUIT VS. DRIED FRUIT
Freeze-dried fruit and traditionally dried fruit – are they essentially the same thing once the process is complete?
Definitely not.
And the difference is not only visible in their appearance – although visually it can be considerable – but above all in what the fruit has to offer nutritionally.
Both traditional drying and freeze-drying are preservation methods designed to remove water from fruit and extend its shelf life. Traditionally dried fruit generally contains approximately 6-8% water, while freeze-dried fruit contains less than 3%.
This, however, is where the similarities largely end.
Traditional drying can cause a significant loss of nutritional value, particularly when high temperatures are used. Some heat-sensitive compounds, including vitamin C, may be substantially reduced during such processing.
High-temperature drying can also affect the structure and appearance of the fruit. The dried raspberries shown in the photograph have undergone this type of drying process.
Freeze-dried fruit, by contrast, can retain a very high proportion of the vitamins, minerals and biologically active compounds originally present in fresh fruit.
For this to happen, however, the freeze-drying process must be carried out without technological shortcuts, such as microwave-assisted final drying, which may contribute to the degradation of valuable nutrients.
At Lioforte’s production facility, we do not use such shortcuts, nor do we use microwave drying equipment.
PREMIUM FREEZE-DRIED FRUIT VS. FROZEN FRUIT
Freeze-drying is sometimes informally described as “drying by freezing”. The use of low, sub-zero temperatures is therefore one of the elements shared by freeze-drying and conventional freezing. Both processes also typically use fresh fruit harvested during the growing season.
In general terms, there may be relatively little difference in nutritional value, vitamin content and mineral content between properly freeze-dried and properly frozen fruit – provided that both processes begin with fruit of equally high quality and are carried out correctly.
One of the major advantages of freeze-dried fruit over frozen fruit, however, is the convenience of storage and use.
Packages of freeze-dried fruit can be stored at room temperature as long as they remain properly sealed and protected from moisture. The fruit can be consumed immediately, without waiting for it to thaw.
It is also easy to transport and does not require a refrigerated cold chain. Freeze-dried fruit can also be stored for long periods – considerably longer than many frozen products under ordinary household conditions.
Another important difference is appearance and texture.
Frozen fruit may look very attractive while still frozen, but once thawed it often becomes soft and loses much of its original structure.
Freeze-dried fruit retains an attractive appearance and develops a distinctive crispy texture, making it particularly suitable as a convenient fruit snack.
REMIUM FREEZE-DRIED FRUIT VS. FRUIT JUICES
Comparing premium freeze-dried fruit with fruit juice makes the most sense when we are talking about freshly prepared juice made from fresh, preferably organic fruit, using a slow juicer, with no added preservatives, sweeteners or other additives, and consumed shortly after preparation.
Only this type of juice provides a meaningful comparison with our fruit in terms of nutritional value and the presence of vitamins, minerals and other biologically active compounds.
For reflection, we would like to quote excerpts from an interview with Dr Magdalena Góra-Gębka, MD, a paediatrician, conducted as part of the Lioforte Health Academy.
“Fruit juices should generally be limited, particularly those that have undergone heat treatment, have been deprived of fibre and often contain increased amounts of sugars. These do not necessarily have to be added sugars – the higher sugar concentration may also result, for example, from the fact that a particular juice is produced from concentrate rather than freshly squeezed immediately before consumption.”
Why is fibre so important?
“The fibre content limits the absorption of sugars naturally present in fruit, thereby influencing what is known as the glycaemic index. The increase in blood glucose after eating whole fruit is gradual. This is one of the reasons why people with diabetes are advised to consume foods rich in dietary fibre, including whole fruit rather than juice. Fibre is also effective in helping to prevent and alleviate constipation in children, which is relatively common and can often be improved through an appropriate diet.”
So what can we conclude from this?
If dietary fibre is important to us, it is generally better to eat whole fruit and drink water.
During the season, we can choose fresh seasonal fruit. Outside the season, freeze-dried fruit can provide a convenient alternative.
Freeze-drying enables fruit to retain a very high proportion of its nutritional value and naturally occurring biologically active compounds. It also allows these qualities to be preserved for a long time without the need for troublesome storage and transport conditions such as refrigeration.
And one more thing worth remembering: one glass of Lioforte premium freeze-dried fruit corresponds to at least four glasses – and, depending on the fruit, sometimes even up to twelve glasses – of fresh fruit in terms of the amount of fresh fruit used to produce it.
© Lioforte Sp. z o.o. Sp.k.
Further distribution of the above text, in whole or in part, and/or of the photographs contained herein requires the prior consent of Lioforte.
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