Michigan
State University Extension
Preserving
Food Safely - 01600535
10/13/97
Fresh fruits and vegetables supply calories, fiber,
vitamins and minerals. As is true with other food
preservation methods, drying will result in the destruction
of certain nutrients. Some of the nutritional changes you
can expect with drying are:
Calories: No change. However, on a pound-for-pound basis,
dried foods will have substantially higher caloric content
than fresh because nutrients become more concentrated as
water is removed.
Fiber: Fiber content of foods is not effected by drying.
Vitamins: Vitamins A and C are chief nutrients found in
fresh fruits and vegetables. Both are destroyed by exposure
to air, and vitamin C is also destroyed by heat. Other
factors that affect vitamin loss are exposure to light,
prolonged storage periods and improper storage conditions.
Sulfuring helps protect vitamins A and C from destruction.
Minerals: Mineral losses may occur with soaking, however,
these losses are usually minimal.
