This week it’s:

WHETHER you’re mixing dried fruit into the Christmas cake or pudding, or simply offering it around in a bowl for the family to graze from, Yuletide has traditionally been a key time of year for dried fruits. Nearly half the dried fruits sold in shops are raisins, followed by currants, sultanas, dates, prunes and figs. Today you can also find dried apricots, peaches, strawberries and mango, as well as apple, pear and banana ‘chips’.

All these have been dried either under the sun or in heated wind-tunnels. Many of the more acid-tasting fruits (such as cranberries and morello cherries) are infused with sweeteners during the drying process. Let’s take a closer look at some of these Christmassy treats.

Dates versus figs

PACKETS of dried dates and figs are often bought over Christmas, but at no other time of year! They share a number of similarities – they’re both easy to snack on, sweet, fibrous and sticky, they both originate from the Middle East, North Africa