Dried fruits, syrup and candied fruits: how to distinguish
Sweetness can come from the fruit itself or from added sugar. Both things are important for a recipe: the composition of the product and what texture it will give after cooking.
Total and added sugars
Total sugars include both fruit sugars and added sweeteners. Sugar, honey and syrup added during production are classified as added sugars. Therefore, the phrase “no added sugar” does not mean zero sugar content. Total sugars do not indicate how much sugar was added during manufacturing. To do this, you need separate information about the composition and nutritional value.
What makes a fruit candied?
In the Codex classification, candied fruit is associated with treatment with a sugar solution and subsequent drying. The surface may be glazed or covered with sugar crystals. Thus, “dried fruit” and “candied fruit” describe different technologies; The common name mango, papaya or kiwi is not enough to consider the composition to be the same.
How to choose for a dish
For the filling, first decide whether you want a soft fruity bite or a more pronounced sweet bite. A neat shape and suitable size are useful for decoration. These are culinary selection criteria: they do not divide foods into absolutely good and bad. Don't transfer the nutritional value of a plain dried fruit to its candied counterpart, even if the pictures are similar.
How to correctly compare quantities
Compare the same mass, for example 100 g, and look at the mass of your portion separately. Total sugars and added sugars cannot be added again: the latter are already included in the former. Unless the manufacturer specifically reports the amount of added sugar, it cannot be calculated based on taste. When replacing dried fruit with candied fruit, first prepare a small test portion and evaluate the sweetness of the entire dish before changing the main recipe.
The main thing in practice
- “No added sugar” is not the same as “no sugars.”
- Candied fruits require sugar processing; The composition of the party is still important.
- Compare the same weight and the same shape of the product.
Sources
- Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- GSFA food category 04.1.2.7: Candied fruit — FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius