Dried Food Trend

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Dried fruits and vegetables are growing in popularity these days, as its said they’re even sweeter and more flavorful than their fresh counterparts. In today’s close up, find out more about how to take advantage of dried foods to the fullest.

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Public interest in dried fruits and vegetables is so high that supermarkets now offer separate sections for them.

[Soundbite] "I like having snacks. Dried foods are a good replacement for them."

The process of drying makes fruits and vegetables more flavorful with greater nutritious benefits.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-hwan(Family Medicine Doctor) : "When fruits or vegetables are dried, they dehydrate and their nutrients are concentrated. So you can take in a rich amount of nutrients with a small portion of food."

This homemaker dries fruits and vegetables herself at home.

[Soundbite] Cho Geum-ja(Homemaker) : "I dry fruits and vegetable to eat them conveniently and constantly."

Here are some helpful tips on drying vegetables. First, wash and clean the vegetables sufficiently. Thin-skinned vegetables like carrots and radish are used as they are after washing. But ginger and potatoes should be peeled. Drying vegetables in their entirety takes a long time. So slice and dice them to reduce the drying duration. Place them on a perforated trays basket and dry them in the shade. But make sure that they don't get moldy. In this method, any loss of nutritious components such as chlorophyll and vitamins can be minimized. The vegetables dry up in a week and they can be eaten just as they are or added to stew or soup. It is better to dry vegetables in the shade. Mushrooms are different. They should be dried in a sun-lit place.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-hwan(Family Medicine Doctor) : "The content of vitamin D in shiitake mushrooms increases by 12 times if they are sun-dried. Vitamin D is produced in the human body when you are exposed to the sunlight. Dried mushrooms are a good, easy source of vitamin D."

Fruits are dried in a similar way. But one extra procedure is required: soak fruits in water mixed with vinegar for an hour for the purpose of cleaning. Lemon and orange peels are not for eating. But unpeeled lemons and oranges are edible when they are dried. So you can ingest the nutrients contained in the peel.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Hye-young(Dept. of Food and Nutrition, Yongin University) : "Nutrients like dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals are more abundant in fruit's skin than in their flesh. So it is better to dry and eat unpeeled fruits in their entirety."

It is good to consume fruits with the skin. But pineapple and kiwifruit should be unpeeled because of their thick or fuzzy rind. An airy and shady place is good for drying fruits. They dry up in five to seven days. If it is hard to dry them naturally, using a food dryer is a good idea. Dried fruits and vegetables can be added to a variety of dishes. Mixed with tofu and chicken, they can be used to make fries. Dried fruits can replace sugar in rice cake recipes. Tea can be brewed with dried fruit. On a hot day, it is recommendable to make tea with dried fruits in ice or carbonated water. The benefits of fruits and vegetables increase when they are dried. They can help you beat out spring fatigue amid the warming weather.