valley drying | dried fruit |
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Using a computer controlled, tunnel drying facility, we dry tropical fruits such as Mango, Guava, Pineapple, Banana, Tomato and Papaya. This method dries our fruit in a considerably shorter time, than for instance the sun drying method and is thought to result in the retention of the natural fruit flavours in it's dehydrated form.
We dry our products from: 100% locally grown pure fruit, no sugar is added, our products are low in fat and kilojoules and are the ideal healthy snack for the health conscious person of today.
The dried guava is available as organic (ecocert)
the background to fruit drying
This is an age-old method used to preserve fruit for an extended period and can be done in one of two ways, either sun or tunnel dried. Both processes are regarded as natural drying processes as they retain the natural fruit ingredients in a dehydrated form and so also preserve the fruit. At Valley Drying fruit is tunnel dried which is a much more hygienic method than the sun dried method. The fruit is dried according to HACCP standards. The drying period in the tunnel is considerably shorter than in the sun and this is thought to result in the retention of more of the natural flavours than other processes. Mango and Banana fruit is selected, washed, peeled, sliced and then dipped into a sulphur solution before being carefully placed on drying racks that are moved into the drying tunnel for the hygienic drying process. The retained sulphur dioxide does not exceed 500 parts per million on the surface of the fruit and helps in the retention of the bright fruit colour as well as preventing spoilage. Dried Guava is not subjected to the sulphur treatment and is therefore completely preservative free. The fruit is dried to a target moisture level of 15-18 percent at which level it is at its best. The dried fruit is Kosher certified.
dried mango
The mango cultivars Tommy Atkins, Kent and Keitts, are grown in the Levubu valley, one of South Africa's premier sub tropical fruit growing areas. The Mango aroma is distinctly evident and this soft dried mango product has a strong true mango taste. Mangoes are known to be rich in Vitamins A (Carotene) and C and are also a good source of natural fibre as well as natural fruit sugar. This is a delicious and very healthy snack.
dried banana
The cultivar used is the Williams variety and is also cropped in the Levubu Valley. Mature healthy fruit is used and sliced before drying also to a target moisture level of 15-18 percent. Dried Bananas are a good source of Vitamin C, natural fibre and Potassium providing a perfect snack for active people and sportsmen as the Potassium is a vital mineral controlling the electrolytic balance in the blood. This healthy product has a strong Banana aroma and flavour.
dried guava
The Faan Retief Guava variety is used in the production of the dried Guava. This product is extremely high in Vitamin C containing some five hundred percent of the daily requirement. Being completely preservative free makes this an extremely healthy snack.
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