The process of creating delectable treats requires enhancing the baseline of what is already fantastic. Pastries, ice creams and chocolates are the seeds of happiness, but fresh fruit can blossom your creation into a spectrum of flavor profiles. It’s important, however, to know how to best incorporate that flavor, because fresh fruit of any quantity is more likely to dominate than enhance. Freeze-dried fruit powders offer an immediate solution to this problem. Whether you seek a strong or subtle flavor contour, fruit powders allow you to precisely calibrate the flavor intensity of your dessert, allowing you to achieve a range of flavors from the subtle delicacy of watermelon to the bold character of citrus, and anywhere in between.
In recent years, the interest in using dried and dehydrated fruit products has increased exponentially. Fresh fruit is always a difficult ingredient to manage. Whether it’s not ripe enough or too far gone, procuring, storing, and balancing the peak readiness of fresh fruit is nearly impossible to do efficiently and without waste. By design, freeze-dried fruit powders sustain the flavors and nutrients of fresh fruits. This is a game changer for the pastry and baking world.
Fruit powders allow us to explore a wide variety of flavor options that may otherwise be difficult because of seasonal stock supplies or even supply chain delays. Furthermore, you may be deterred from using a specific fruit flavor because of elevated water content. As referenced, these dynamics challenge the practical efficiencies and time restraints of the modern artisan. Aside from the natural requirements of fresh fruits, purées, pastes, or extracts, fruit powders address many obstacles. The powdered version of fresh fruit can excel as a stand-alone ingredient or can be used to add an extra punch of flavor to any recipe.
When we think of powders or formulated compounds, chemistry and unwanted – and unpronounceable – additives often come to mind. How does fresh fruit attain a higher state of consciousness? Well, through recent developments, we’ve found the best method of making fruit powders includes freeze drying the optimally ripened fruit at icy temperatures. This removes 98 percent of water content, so we can then transition the lifeforce of the fresh fruit into a powder, resulting in a longer shelf life. Equally important, that is how the flavor and nutrition of the original fruit are maintained. The final result is a highly concentrated fruit powder. Remember, a little goes a long way! Only small amounts of powder are needed. Since the fruit has been turned into powder, it contains no additional water or sugar content. Pro tip: to avoid any natural clumping, store in airtight containers to suppress moisture. Your supplier will have desiccant packets that will assist with the storage process.
One of the great benefits of using fruit powders includes the versatility in usage and application they offer. You can mix powders into dry ingredients for things like cookie doughs or cake batters. You can even use it in no-churn ice cream to avoid compromising your recipe with a purée. Likewise, it is just as easy to hydrate fruit powders with any liquid, such as water, juice, butter, oil, etc. Not only do powders provide powerful flavor, but they also deliver beautiful, natural color that is downright spellbinding. Fruit powders likewise do a beautiful job in dessert toppings, glazes, and frostings.
Other powder applications include:
Dough
White chocolate
Cake batter
Caramel
Marshmallow
Ganache
Dusting
Let your imagination be your guide – freeze-dried fruit powders offer an easy, accessible way to add pure fruit flavor to anything you can conjure up. Visit www.chefrubber.com to learn more about these state-of-the-art products.
"It is so great for baking because it adds tons of fruit flavor, but no liquid, so you can play with it in recipes that normally would be so hard to make fruity, like cookies," says recipe developer and cookbook author Yossy Arefi, who incorporates freeze-dried fruit in a number of recipes in her book Snacking Cakes.
When ground into a powder, the fruit can easily be incorporated into cake batter or frosting for an intense fruitiness and vivid color. Though some recipes (including Stella's double-strawberry cake) call for up to 3 cups of freeze-dried fruit, we recommend starting with half a cup.
The process of freeze-drying fruit commercially involves putting the berries or pieces of fruit in a vacuum chamber with a below-freezing temperature. The solid water molecules in the fruit to become a gas, leaving the food and dissipating.
Unlike leathery dried fruit, freeze-dried can be ground into a fine, dry powder that dissolves readily in liquids, and because it contains no water or added sugar, it won't wreck a dessert's consistency or sweetness.
Finally, both dehydrated (and freeze-dried) fruit contain the same amount of nutrients as fresh fruit, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This means fruits that are nutrient rich and have little impact on blood sugar (like blueberries and apples) won't lose their nutritional value in dried form.
Freeze-dried fruit powders are trending ingredients in baking, and it's for a good reason: They add unmatchable fruit flavor, color, and brightness to baked goods, without the use of food dyes or extracts.
The best way to keep berries or other fruit from sinking in a cake is to toss them in a little flour before adding them to the batter. Just a tablespoon or two, enough to make a light coating on the surface.
Freeze-dried fruit is amazing because it adds flavor without adding moisture to a recipe. This is key in these strawberry muffins, as it allows for the maximum strawberry flavor without making the muffins too soggy.
Once you have your powder, you can add it to virtually anything you can think of. You can add it any dry ingredients, but stirring it into a finished batter or icing or kneading it into a finished dough will help you use the right amount for the dish.
Freeze-drying increases the shelf life of fruit beyond 25 years. Since freeze-dried fruit does not require refrigeration, it is a great emergency and camping food option. Freeze-dried fruit can also save you space because of its smaller size in comparison to fresh fruit.
The Difference Between Dehydrating and Freeze Drying
Dehydration in poorly built dehydrators removes about 70% of the water. In this situation, the food is only good for a few months. Home freeze drying with a Harvest Right removes 99% of the water.
Because 98-99 percent of the moisture in food being freeze-dried is removed during the process, it has a shelf life of usually 25 years or more. In both cases, cooler temperatures will help lengthen shelf life.
Fruit powders and extracts can also be a concentrated source of certain nutrients, such as antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, compared to fresh fruit. This is great for those who want to increase their intake of nutrients without eating large amounts of fruit.
Help improve immune system, memory power and brain development. High in dietary fiber, prevents dry skin and acts as an antioxidant. Helps prevent anemia and is an immune boosting food.
Blend freeze-dried fruits into smoothies for a refreshing twist, creating a velvety texture and intense flavor. Their versatility extends beyond breakfast; toss them into salads for a sweet and tangy contrast, or use them as a topping for desserts like ice cream or pudding.
You can also sprinkle strawberry powder over oatmeal or into plain yogurt. For a refreshing smoothie, mix strawberry powder with other frozen fruits and milk. It can also be added to desserts like pudding, ice cream or parfaits. Or add strawberry powder to a glass of milk to make delicious strawberry milk.
The primary purpose of freeze drying within the food industry is to extend the shelf-life of the food while maintaining the quality. Freeze-drying is known to result in the highest quality of foods of all drying techniques because structural integrity is maintained along with preservation of flavors.
Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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