Many people regard freeze drying and air drying as an effective way to save fruit, so that they can be eaten at any time. Although both of them are methods of making dried fruit, there are some differences between them.
The biggest difference between air dried fruit and freeze dried fruit s is the processing process. Air dried fruit is made by placing in a warm environment to remove moisture. This may be done by placing the fruit in the sun after slicing, or done by using a machine which specially designed for fruit dehydration. But no matter in which way, it will not add chemicals and sugar to help process the fruit.
The freeze dried fruit is also dehydrated fruit, but the processing process is a little bit different and more complex. Before drying, first of all, freeze the fruit. When it thoroughly freezed, it will be put into a room with vacuum gradually draining all the water. The room needs to be heated and the temperature is set to the temperature at which the fruit can be quickly thawed whereas the vacuum extracting all the water. Thus it not only retains the fresh flavour, but also becomes crisp.
Second, Both air dried fruit and freeze dried fruit have long shelf life. But under normal conditions, the shelf time is very different. Often, air dried fruit can keep the taste for one year. While, freeze-dried fruit, which is airtight and which is sealed in moistureproof container, can save at least several years.
Last but not least, air dried fruit and freeze-dried fruit are also very different in texture. The texture of the former is usually relatively soft, but, freeze dried fruit tends to be crisp. These two kinds of fruits can be refreshing snacks, and there are a variety of recipes you can choose.