The simplest way to use freeze-dried fruit is to eat it out of hand, alone, or as a component of snack mix or trail mix. You can also use freeze-dried fruit as a topping on cereal, yogurt, or ice cream. It’s also a great option for hiking, camping, and traveling because it’s so light and compact.
With such a concentrated flavor, freeze-dried fruit is a great way to add intense fruit flavor (and often color) to a recipe without adding extra liquid. Because it’s so crunchy, it can also be used whole, crumbled, or powdered as a garnish to enhance the texture and appearance of a dish.
For many applications, freeze-dried fruit must be pulverized into a fine powder in a blender or food processor. (Be sure to remove the desiccant packet from the package before dumping its contents into your blender.) It can also be broken up with the hands or crushed under a frying pan or rolling pin for a coarser crumble.
Whole fruit is typically cut into halves, slices, or cubes before freeze-drying, though small fruits like berries can be freeze-dried whole. Freeze-dried fruit may also be sold ground into a fine powder for use in flavoring smoothies and desserts.
