850 18 Fruits and Fruit Products
Table 18.37.Composition of some dried fruits (g/100g edible portion)
Fruit Moisture N-containing Lipid Available Dietary Minerals Vitamin C
compounds carbohy- fiber
(N× 6 .25) drates
Apricots 17. 65. 00 .448 17. 73. 50. 011
Dates 20. 21. 90. 565 8. 71. 80. 003
Figs 23. 73. 51 .355 12. 92. 4 0–0. 005
Peaches 24. 03. 00 .653 12. 83. 00. 017
Plums/ 24. 02. 30 .647 17. 82. 10. 004
prunes
Raisins 15. 72. 50. 568 5. 22. 00. 001
seedless, light-colored, dried grapes. Currants,
with or without seeds, are dark and are much
smaller in size than the other two raisin products.
The surface treatment of raisins, with the excep-
tion of currants, involves the use of acetylated
monoglycerides to prevent caking or sticking.
The compositions of some dried fruits are pre-
sented in Table 18.37. Dried fruits are exception-
ally rich in calories and they supply significant
amounts of minerals. Of the vitamins found in
fruit,β-carotene and the B-vitamins remain in-
tact. Vitamin C is lost to a great extent. Sul-
fite treatment destroys vitamin B 1 .However,fruit
color and vitamin C content are retained and sta-
bilized.
18.2.2 Canned Fruits
Since the middle of the 19thcentury, heat steril-
ization in cans and glass jars has been the most
important process for fruit preservation.
Undamaged, aroma-rich and not overripe fruits
are suitable for heat sterilization. Aseptic canning
is applicable only for fruit purées. Canned fruits
used are primarily stone fruits, pears, pineapples
and apples (usually apple purée). Strawberries
and gooseberries are canned to a lesser extent.
Canned fruits are produced in a large volume
by the food industry and also in individual
households. Cherries are freed from stone seeds
and stems, plums/prunes, apricots and peaches
are halved and the stone seeds are removed,
strawberry calix is removed, gooseberry and red
currant stems are removed, apples and pears are
peeled and sliced. Specialized equipment has
been developed for these procedures.
With a few exceptions (raspberries and black-
berries) all fruits are washed or rinsed. Apricots
are readily peeled after alkali treatment at 65◦C.
Fruits sterilized unpeeled, e. g., prunes or yellow
plums, are first fissured to prevent later burst-
ing. To avoid aroma loss and to prevent float-
ing in the can, fruits which shrink considerably
(such as cherries, yellow plums, strawberries and
gooseberries) are dipped prior to canning into
a hot 30% sugar solution and then covered with
a sugar solution, with a sugar concentration ap-
proximately twice the desired final concentration
in the can. Finally, the can is vacuum sealed at
77–95◦C for 4–6 min and, according to the fruit
species, heat sterilized under the required con-
ditions. For example, a 1 liter can of strawber-
ries is sterilized in a boiling water bath at 100◦C
for 18 min, while pears, peaches and apricots are
heated at 100◦C for 22 min. Additions of ascor-
bic and citric acids for stabilization of color and
calcium salts for the preservation of firm texture
have been accepted as standard procedures for
canned fruits consumed as desserts.
Canned fruits used for bakery products, confec-
tions or candies are produced like canned dessert
fruits, however, the fruits are covered with water
instead of sugar solutions.18.2.3 Deep-Frozen FruitsFruits are frozen and stored either as an end
product or for further processing. The choice of
suitable varieties of fruit at an optimal ripening
stage is very important. Pineapples, apples, apri-
cots, grapefruit, strawberries and dark-colored
cherries are highly suitable. Light-colored