The light, white substances on the surface of freeze-dried fruits are the natural sugars or other nutrients (i.e., proteins and vitamins) that naturally occur in the products. Because freeze-drying removes almost 100% of the water, even a small amount of natural sugar and nutrients appearing on the surface of the products would be converted to their solid state, which shows up as light, white materials. Sometimes they are mistaken for foreign objects or contaminations by untrained eyes, but there is nothing to worry about. This appearance is an intrinsic character of freeze-dried food products.

Yes, freeze-dried fruits can turn soggy because of the way they are dried. Freeze-dried fruits have a sponge-like character, and they absorb moisture quickly when exposed to air. They can also turn soggy at high temperatures (i.e., inside a car’s trunk on a hot summer day) even when left unopened. However, this phenomenon can be easily corrected by putting the unopened bag in a cool place (such as inside a fridge or next to an AC vent). It's important to note that if Crispy Fruit turns soggy—refrigerating the product will make them crispy once again.

Our single-serving freeze-dried fruit snack bags are not recyclable, as they have a layer of aluminum and are vacuumed sealed to sustain the freshness of the fruit and to keep out any moisture, which requires us to use this type of packaging. Our 6-pack bags are made of all plastic, so in principle, they’re recyclable. At Croque Les Fruits, we are committed to finding a more sustainable solution to our packaging while ensuring our products remain fresh for your enjoyment.

Dried fruit, for example, tends to be chewy and sweet because it is still holds about a third of its original water content. On the other hand, fruit that is freeze dried contains little to no moisture content at all. This allows foods that are freeze dried to have a crispy, crunchy texture

Unlike dehydrated fruits that need to be sliced for efficient hydration, fruits can be freeze dried as whole fruits, chunks, granules, and powder. So you have more food options with freeze drying than with dehydrating. Freeze drying works the same for whole fruits and fruit pieces. Large fruits are typically cut into halves, slices, or cubes before freeze drying. Small fruits like berries are freeze dried whole. Freeze dried fruit may also be ground into a fine powder for flavoring smoothies and desserts.