Can dried fruit be rehydrated?....the answer is definitely yes! Dried fruit is ready to eat as it is, but in many cases it may need to be rehydrated, especially if you’re adding it to firm, compact doughs that aren’t particularly moist. Let’s take a look at the most appropriate methods.

The most commonly used methods for rehydrating dried fruit

To rehydrate your dried fruit, there are several methods available, which can be grouped into two categories: hot or cold. The cold method is best if you need to preserve the appearance and flavour of your dried fruit, but in this case, the soaking time will be longer. To rehydrate your dried fruit using the cold method, you can use either room-temperature water or milk; it will take a few hours for the fruit to reach the right consistency. For some recipes, you may need to use fruit juices or spirits for cold soaking. Many traditional recipes recommend, for example, soaking sultanas in rum (or other spirits) to give them the right flavour. How do you choose the most suitable spirit? Much depends on the type of dessert you are making; for leavened baked goods and shortcrust pastry, the best options for rehydrating dried fruit are rum, brandy, and cognac, liqueurs such as Grand Marnier and Cointreau, flavoured with orange peel. If the dessert’s main ingredient is chocolate, rum (including spiced varieties) and cognac are the preferred choices, whilst for traditional recipes such as cantucci, rustic biscuits and the like, Marsala, passito and vin santo are excellent options. When using hot methods, with warm water or milk, the soaking times will, as mentioned, be shorter, ranging from 15 to 30 minutes, but the taste and texture of the dried fruit may undergo slight changes. To speed up the process further, you can also take advantage of a brief boil, keeping a close eye on the clock; a few minutes will suffice, over a gentle heat, otherwise your dried fruit will turn into a ‘mushy mess’.

How long can rehydrated fruit be kept?

Once rehydrated, your fruit will become extremely perishable; ideally, it should be consumed within 24 hours. It can be stored for around 2 days (some suggest 3 or 4, but you can never be too careful in these cases), strictly in the fridge, protected in an airtight container.