Freeze Dried Raspberries
Tips for Using Freeze Dried Raspberries
There is nothing like the flavor of just picked fruit; that is, unless it is the flavor of eating fruits that have been freeze dried; raspberries are an excellent example of just such a fruit. With an intense flavor that can be enjoyed at anytime of the year, the delicious raspberry can also be a versatile food choice when prepared in this manner.
As with most foods, raspberries are a delectable and healthy fruit that are only available during their harvest time each year. The soft, juicy berry unfortunately has a very short shelf life. With this highly degradable nature, the berry must be preserved in some way if consumers wish to partake of its wonderful flavor in off season or pay high prices for them in grocery stores. The fruit is definitely worth the extra effort, since it is not only tasty but nutritional as well, with high levels of manganese, vitamin C and dietary fiber and considered a good source of folate, vitamin B2, magnesium, potassium, copper and vitamin B3.
Normal methods of preserving foods are freezing or canning. Canning raspberries is not considered to be a successful means of preserving the fruit, although it can be done. They will not taste like fresh picked berries, however, since liquid is naturally required to be included in the canning process and will affect the flavor. The berry does freeze well, although thawing them will result in a much softer and at times mushy texture that will only be useful in cooked recipes. So how can a raspberry enthusiast soothe their craving for the slightly tart and aromatic berry when not in season? The answer lies in a process that results in freeze dried raspberries; a process that freezes the food, reduces pressure, then heats the food just enough to secrete frozen fluids from the food, changing the fluid from a solid to a gaseous form.
The resulting product after freeze drying is a highly storable food, since the removal of the moisture inhibits the growth of any bacteria that normally would begin the rotting or decomposing process. Foods that are freeze dried are light in weight, making them easier to ship as well. In the case of raspberries, this is an important feature since the very soft fruit calls are extremely susceptible to bruising when stacked on top of each other. Freeze dried raspberries also become even more delicious, since the reduction of water in the berries serves to intensify the tart-sweetness for which they are famous.
Uses for the raspberries prepared in this manner are much more versatile than those prepared by canning or freezing. They are delicious to eat in their freeze dried form; either eaten out of hand or added as a topping to cereals. They can be added to baked goods such as muffins or breads, regaining their moisture by pulling from the liquid added in the mix. Adding water to the product will rehydrate the berries so that they are able to be used in the place of fresh berries.
The light weight of these raspberries made them ideal for carry along foods. Ideal for lunch boxes or for nutritious midday snacks, they are also highly valued by hikers, bikers and travelers who must carry snacks with them.
Fresh picked is, without a doubt, the best way to eat most foods; however, when this isn’t possible, having freeze dried raspberries and other similarly prepared foods is the next best way to enjoy foods that are out of season. With their delicious flavor and versatile ways to use the berries, the process of freeze drying is a means of bringing these fresh fruits to the table when not available on the vine.