Fruit, vegetables, fresh, dried... You thought you already ate fruit and vegetables in every form? We take your favourite fruit and vegetables to the next level! Crispy, crunchy - the sound alone makes our mouths water. The snack you can't get enough of. No sticky hands, no sticky teeth. We're puffing. Puffed? Yes, puffed! It's a very special way of drying fruit and vegetables that gives you a new kind of snacking experience! And it's also super gentle on your favourite fruits. 😊
Food is preserved by various drying processes. Ideally, vitamins, nutrients and also the appearance (shape and colour) should remain unchanged. This is not so easy. We will introduce you to three different drying methods: Hot-air drying, freeze-drying and, last but not least, the puffing process.
Hot air drying:
Hot air drying is the most commonly used drying method. Fruits and vegetables are dried at high temperatures, the liquid is extracted and the food is made more durable. The final phase of drying is very slow, while the temperature of the product is high. This has a negative effect on the quality of the product. Nutrients and vitamins are lost due to the high temperatures. In addition, the method leads to changes in colour and taste. To preserve the colour of the fruit, sulphur is often used. If the residual moisture is high, preservatives are used. Advantages of the method are the low costs and also the comparatively shorter time required.
The freeze-drying process:
A gentle alternative is freeze-drying. In this process, the product is first frozen at -50 degrees. The fruits are then dried. The so-called sublimation takes place. A vacuum is created, which directly evaporates the water at low temperatures (around 40 degrees). Due to the rapid removal of water, the shape, nutrients and vitamins are retained as far as possible. The residual moisture is 1 to 2 per cent, which is very low. However, the process is time-consuming due to the freezing and involves high energy consumption.
The buffering procedure:
Puffing is the method used to make our puffed snacks. It works similarly to freeze-drying, but the freezing process is omitted. The fruit is dried and then placed in a multi-drum drying machine. There, the water is removed from it in a vacuum at low temperature. The sudden change in pressure causes the water to evaporate very quickly, the fruit swells slightly & solidifies. The method is super fast and allows drying in just a few minutes. The puffing process also allows the good ingredients and nutrients to be preserved. The process makes the fruit taste extra special - intense and crunchy. Like all our products, the delicious snacks are without added sugar, preservatives, artificial colours and sulphur.
And what is the difference between freeze-drying and the puffing process?
Both the freeze-drying and the puffing processes are gentle drying methods, whereby the puffing process takes place much faster and thus has a lower energy consumption. The products of both processes also differ in taste and appearance. Puffed products are characterised by their crunchy consistency. The best thing is to try them yourself, the taste is very special.
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