Baking & Snack - September 2023 - 70

FRUITS & NUTS
Fruits provide
sweetness and a
chewy texture in
cookies and other
baked goods.
©Arinahabich-stock.adobe.com
with a gluten or non-gluten flour before introducing to
the batter, " said Aaron Iverson, national sales manager
for US and Canada, Global Organics. " This will help
keep them in suspension and mitigate bleeding. "
Infused fruit pieces are another option. This option
maintains piece integrity while binding moisture and
preventing bleeding.
" We are seeing a lot of traction for our unsweetened
and soft range of dried fruits, as sugar continues to be a
consumer concern, " Mr. Khouzam said. " Instead of infusing
our cranberries with cane sugar, we infuse them
with a soluble fiber. "
Fruit purees and pastes are used as fillings and
swirls. They often require pH adjustments to prevent
discoloration.
" Fruits are often acidified at processing to minimize
color degradation, like tossing apples in lemon juice
when making a pie filling, " Mr. Iverson said. " Selecting
acidified fruits will give the best starting color. Just be
sure to adjust for the lower pH of an acidified product in
leavened baked goods. "
The company's organic fruit pastes can be used in agglomerated
bars. In addition to delivering fruit flavor,
the pastes also provide humectancy and a chewy texture.
Christine Campbell, category manager, fruit and vegetables,
Global Organics, said that use of organic coconut
nectar is growing in baked goods. It is naturally
sweet, minimally processed, rich in minerals and has a
low glycemic index. The nutrients do not lose their benefits
during heating and processing.
Vegetable ingredients work in baked goods, too, such
as carrot cake.
" We developed a unique powder comprising a blend of
five different fruits and vegetables, each with distinct prop70
Baking & Snack September 2023 / www.bakingbusiness.com
erties that, when combined, provide dietary fiber and polyphenols
bound within that fiber to support gut health, " Mr.
Barenie said. " Due to similar moisture and water activities
of baked good raw materials, this product can be easily incorporated
into a variety of blend premixes. "
Getting nutty
Adding nuts to baked goods presents fewer challenges
than fruit, especially when part of the batter or dough. If
applied topically, burning, moisture migration and oxidation
must be addressed.
" A good tip would be to use a value-added ingredient
instead, such as a praline nut piece instead of a raw
nut, where the praline process protects the nut and still
allows for the crunch and piece identity in the finished
product, instead of a softer raw nut that may lose that
piece identity when baked out, " Ms. Simons said.
Jennifer Olmstead, senior director of US marketing and
communications, California Walnut Commission, said
incorporating walnuts into baked goods is easy as long
as bakers follow a few general guidelines. One is to keep
them in cold storage until use. This helps preserve flavor
by preventing oxidation of the inherent oil in tree nuts.
" If a walnut inclusion is used inside of a product, there
will be no issues with attaining the desired shelf life, " Ms.
Olmstead explained. " If bits of the walnuts are exposed
to the surface, bakers should use opaque packaging or
coat the walnut with an oil or sugar glaze to preserve its
flavor integrity. "
Although including fruits and nuts in baked goods
can pose challenges, they bring many assets to the table,
and they come in many formats. Bakers simply need to
ensure they are using the best ingredients for the products
they are making.
*
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Baking & Snack - September 2023

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