Dried Fruits

Dried Fruits

A masterclass in concentrated flavour and natural sweetness. The Dried Fruits pantry is where the harvest is preserved, bringing intense, chewy bursts of character to the kitchen all year round. From the rich, caramel depths of sticky Medjool dates that anchor heavy winter puddings to the bright, tart zing of dried apricots gently simmering in a spiced Moroccan tagine, these ingredients beautifully bridge the gap between sweet and savoury. Whether macerated in dark rum for festive bakes, scattered over morning grains, or used to provide sweet contrast to roasted meats and sharp cheeses, dried fruits offer an indispensable, intensely flavoured toolkit.

0 Ingredients

Exploring the Dried Fruits Pantry

Drying fruit evaporates its water content, condensing its natural sugars and acids into a fierce, concentrated bite. This category is not just for the baker; it is a vital resource for the savoury cook looking to build complex, sweet-and-sour flavour profiles.

  • The Rich & Sticky: Dates, figs, and prunes offer profound, syrupy depth. They are the heavyweights of the pantry, capable of binding raw energy bars, enriching slow-cooked lamb shoulder, or serving as the luscious, jammy centrepiece of a sticky toffee pudding.
  • The Tart & Bright: Dried apricots, cranberries, and sour cherries bring essential acidity alongside their sweetness. Their sharp, piercing profiles make them perfect for cutting through the rich fats of roasted pork, bringing vibrant life to a warm couscous salad, or balancing the dense sweetness of white chocolate in cookies.
  • The Classic Vine Fruits: Raisins, sultanas, and currants are the undisputed champions of the bakery. Ranging from the dark, intense chew of a currant to the plump, golden sweetness of a sultana, they are the mandatory foundation for everything from a perfectly spiced hot cross bun to a classic spotted dick.

A Chef's Guide to Storage & Prep

Because their moisture has been heavily reduced, dried fruits require specific handling to ensure they integrate seamlessly into your dishes:

  • The Golden Rule of Maceration: If you are folding dried fruits into a cake batter or bread dough, you must rehydrate them first. If added dry, they will aggressively steal moisture from your batter as it bakes, resulting in a dry, crumbly crumb. Soak them in warm tea, fruit juice, or liquor for at least an hour before use.
  • Chop with Ease: Deeply sticky fruits like dates and figs will immediately bind to your knife, making prep work a nightmare. To slice them cleanly and safely, lightly rub your blade with a neutral oil, or toss the whole fruits in a tiny pinch of flour before chopping to keep the pieces separated.
  • Airtight is Essential: Exposure to air will quickly turn soft, pliable dried fruits into unusable, rock-hard bullets. Keep them sealed tight in airtight containers in a cool, dark larder. If they do dry out, a quick 10-minute soak in boiling water will usually revive them.

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A-Z Index

A +
Allspice Berries Almonds (Flakes) Apples
B +
Baking Powder Bay Leaves Beef Chuck Beef Mince Beef Short Rib Beef Tenderloin Beef Topside Beetroots Black Pepper Black Peppercorns Blackcurrant Jam Bramley Apples Brown Onion
C +
Candied Orange Peel Caraway Seeds Carrots Caster Sugar Celeriac Chanterelle Mushrooms Chicken Breasts Chicken Thighs Chopped Tomatoes (Tin) Cinnamon (Ground) Cinnamon Stick Clarified Butter Cloves Cocoa Powder Conchiglie Pasta Cornflour Crayfish Tails (cooked and peeled) Cucumber Curd Cheese (Twaróg) Curry Powder
D +
Dark Chocolate (70%) Dark Rye Flour Dijon Mustard Double Cream Dried Forest Mushrooms Dried Marjoram Dried White Beans Duck (whole)
E +
Eggs Emmental Cheese
F +
Fine Breadcrumbs Fine Egg Noodles Flat-leaf Parsley Floury Potatoes Fresh Basil Fresh Chives Fresh Dill Fresh Dill Crowns Fresh Lovage Fresh Sorrel Fresh Yeast Fusilli Pasta
G +
Garlic Bulb Garlic cloves Ginger (Ground) Grated horseradish
H +
Honey Horseradish Root
I +
Ice Cold Water Icing Sugar
J +
Juniper Berries
K +
Kajmak (Dulce de Leche) Kaszanka (Polish black pudding) Kefir
L +
Lard Leek Lemon Lemon Juice Ligol Apples Łazanki (Quadretti) pasta
M +
Marinated Forest Mushrooms Mayonnaise Milk Mustard Seeds
N +
New Potatoes
O +
Oak, Cherry, or Grape Leaves Ogórek Kiszony (Sour Brined Cucumber) Olive Oil Orange Zest Oranges
P +
Parsley Root Pearl Barley Pears Peas (Tin) Plain Flour Polish Smoked Sausage Poppy Seeds Pork Belly Pork Loin (boneless) Pork Mince Pork Neck Pork Ribs Pork Ribs (Smoked) Pork Shoulder Potato Starch Prunes (Pitted) Pumpkin
R +
Radishes Raisins Rapeseed Oil Red Bell Peppers Red Kidney Beans (Tin) Red Wine (Dry) Ridge / Ground Cucumbers Rustic Bread Rye Bread
S +
Salt Sauerkraut (Kapusta Kiszona) Savoy Cabbage Sea Salt Shallots Smoked Bacon Smoked Paprika Sour Cream Sparkling Water Spring Onions Stale White Bread Strawberries Strong Wheat Flour (Bread Flour) Sweet Paprika (Noble Sweet) Sweetcorn (Tin) Szara Reneta (Grey Reinette)
T +
Tomato Passata Tomato Puree Tomatoes (Vine-Ripened) Turkey Neck
U +
Unsalted Butter
V +
Vanilla Extract Vanilla Pods Veal Loin Vegetable Oil Vodka
W +
Walnuts (halves) Water Waxy Potatoes White Cabbage White Pepper White Rice (short-grain) White Sausage (Raw) White Wine (Dry) White Wine Vinegar Whole Chicken Wild Blueberries
Y +
Young White Cabbage Young beets with greens (untrimmed)
Z +
Zakwas Pszenny (Sour Wheat Starter) Zakwas z Buraków (Fermented Beetroot Juice / Beet Kvass) Zakwas Żytni (Rye Starter) Zander Fillets