Dried Fruit Deep Dive: Cherries
February 18, 2021
The beauty of dried fruit is that it’s supercharged with flavor and nutrients – ideal for nutrient-dense products like bars, bites, clusters, & crumbles. Bella Viva Orchards offers natural dried cherries to a wide range of customers who utilize them in various formulations. The balance of sweet and tart goes a long way in mixes, muesli, granola, baked goods, beverages, and more.
We provide the freshest, most flavor-forward dried fruits without any additives. What’s one of our key points of differentiation? We do not add sugar, sulfur, or preservatives of any kind in the drying process, providing our customers the ability to maintain a clean ingredient deck for their manufactured products. Read on for more info on one of our favorite superfoods – Cherries.
A superfood grown right here in Central California, cherries are overflowing with nutrient density, and their flavor profile combined with our unique process makes for an optimal addition to an ingredient deck. Superfoods connote good health, so let us explore just how packed cherries are with health benefits.
Cherries are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, including high percentages of polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamin C, and potassium – all of which have been shown to help decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, as well as Alzheimer’s. The main phenol present in cherries are anthocyanins which are also present in wine, often touted as healthy in small amounts. Dried cherries have a higher concentration of nutrients compared with their fresh counterparts due to the drying process. When the water is removed from the fruit, the result is power-packed nutrient and fiber content.
Cherries, a stone fruit, are part of the Rosacea family (think raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears, plums, and roses) and here in the US, the most common varietals are Bing sweet cherries and Montmorency tart cherries. Natural Sweet Cherries have been increasing in demand due to their vibrant flavor, antioxidant properties, and the fact that they contain no added sugars.
You can find more on our natural dried cherries here. Contact us today for more information!