Dried fruit refers to fruit that has been dehydrated, which can occur by means of a few different processes. Water can be removed through hot air drying (convection), sun-drying, or oven drying. Recently, vacuum drying has also become a popular means to dehydrate fruits.
Not all methods of dehydration produce the same results. Dehydrating through vacuum drying is considered a superior method because it allows the fruit to retain more of their natural nutrients than other methods.
The process of vacuum drying fruit occurs under low air pressure, and attempts to dry the fruit under the boiling point in order to preserve freshness, moisture, and nutrients.