Evaporated & Dried Fruit and Vegetables
Food preservation through drying is a method dating back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations used the heat of the sun to preserve fruits and vegetables while fire, smoke, and often seasonings were used to preserve meats and fish.
The process of drying fruits and vegetables was revolutionized in the 19th century with the invention of “evaporator” machines that dried crops in heated chambers rather than through the heat of the sun.
Evaporated products could be preserved for longer periods of time without loss from spoilage and also took up less container space which enabled more volume per container, and thus more containers per shipment. By 1873, no less than 70 varieties of the evaporator machine had been granted patents in the U.S. 2
Fruit evaporation was at one time a large and profitable industry, the town of Milford was the epicenter during the industry’s peak years (1870 -1900). Evaporated peaches from Milford enjoyed national as well as international recognition. In the 1870s the product was shipped to Great Britain where revenues averaged 18 cents per pound, equal to approximately $5.59 per pound today.
In 1883, a U.S. Department of Agriculture bulletin expounded on the subject of evaporating and drying fruits. Although “evaporated” and “dried” were used interchangeably:
· Evaporated fruit is that from which moisture has been removed using mechanical devices for heating and artificially circulating air around the product to be dried.
· Dried fruit is exposed to the heat of the sun. 3
Although lucrative, the evaporator industry was faced with many challenges such as financing, fires, weather, competition, and laws enacted by government agencies designed to ensure quality and consumer protection. In Delaware, the evaporator industry declined simultaneous with the peach industry toward the close of the 19th century.
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The U.S. military was one of the evaporation industry’s largest customers. Beginning in the 1870s, evaporated fruits and vegetables were used to supplement rations for troops serving in the Frontier Army. Their nutritive value and shelf life coupled with ease of transportation made these products a valuable addition to soldiers’ diets. This practice continues today for soldiers in combat with Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) that include dried fruit with high sugar content, such as raisins, that are intended to boost energy. 5
Did You Know?
One piece of dried fruit contains about the same amount of nutrients as the same article of fresh fruit. By weight, dried fruit contains up to 3.5 times the fiber, vitamins, and minerals of fresh fruit.
Fruit contains significant amounts of natural sugars. During the drying process water is removed from fruit resulting in the concentration of natural sugar and calories in a much smaller product. For this reason, dried fruit tends to be very high in calories and sugar, by volume, including both glucose and fructose.
Consider raisins (dried grapes):
· Raisins are high in fiber, potassium, and other plant compounds.
· A one (1) ounce portion of raisins contains 84 calories, which come almost exclusively from sugar. 6
Sources
- Business and Industries of Milford, Delaware 1787 – 1987. Edited by Harold B. Hancock and M. Catherine Downing
- Business and Industries of Milford, Delaware 1787 – 1987. Edited by Harold B. Hancock and M. Catherine Downing
- Farmer’s Bulletin 903, Commercial Evaporation and Dried Fruits. U.S., Department of Agriculture (1882)
- The Commercial Evaporator an American Innovation in Drying Apples: The First Fifty Years—1864-1914 Mike Viney
- https://history.army.mil/museums/TRADOC/frontier-army-museum/docs/army-rations/Brief-History-of-US-Army-rations_Frontier-Army-Museum
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dried-fruit-good-or-bad