Fresh
fruits are in many ways ideal snacks, but suffer from difficulties in
distribution and lack of universal seasonal availability.
Convenience,
therefore, dictates that frequently some preparation and preservation
needs to be carried out to ensure their availability throughout the
year, ensure consistency of quality and even enhancement of particular
attributes.
Whilst dried fruits retain a great deal of their nutritive
value they often come under criticism for texture as drying can cause
considerable loss of textural integrity.