Dried Fruit

WHAT TO LOOK FOR · When it comes to apricots, color is not always the best indicator of flavor. A bright orange hue indicates fruit that has been treated with sulfur dioxide, which, though not necessarily a bad thing, is undesirable to those looking for an unprocessed, natural product. The organic apricots we import from Turkey are entirely sun dried and unsulfured, with a dark brown color, but they are among the most vividly flavored you will find. In general, try to choose moist, separate fruits without blemishes and with minimal external sugar, which indicates they have not been stored properly. My preferred dates for snacking or smoothies are Medjools from California, which have soft, dense, almost fudgy flesh. They don’t stand up well to long cooking, though; for those uses, choose a dried, imported variety. Dried fruit will keep almost indefinitely in an airtight container but will become harder over time.