The Science Behind TruFru's Hyper Dried Fruit

Chocolate-covered strawberries have been one of the most enticing treats since first making their mark in the '60s. It was allegedly a woman working at a Stop 'N' Shop in Chicago who first married the two tasty ingredients, and the rest is history. Chocolate-covered fruit would be the ideal impromptu indulgence if it could only linger in the pantry rather than a few days in the fridge. TruFru solved that problem by coating dried fruit, or more specifically "hyper-dried" fruit, in chocolate rather than the fresh stuff. The candy-like bite has a remarkably long shelf life, making it the best emergency snack to hide in your backpack.

Freeze drying has been proven to be the most dependable way to preserve fruit. Don't believe it? Ask the astronauts. That space food you once coveted as a kid? That's all freeze-dried and guaranteed to last at least 25 years. The initial intent with drying fruit was to preserve its quality well into the following seasons, but the special result created a new food all on its own. As expected, freeze-drying uses lower temperatures than the standard drying method and pulls out nearly every ounce of moisture. Classic dehydrated fruit is still left with some moisture, giving it that chewy bite, whereas drying fruit at below-freezing temperatures removes as much as 98% of its water.

The new popular candy brand TruFu leads with its commitment to natural ingredients. Fruit is picked at its peak ripeness, flash frozen, and then "hyper-dried" before being coated in velvety chocolate. The company coined that term to encapsulate its specific approach to preserving fresh fruit, which involves gradually lowering temperatures below negative 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The minds behind TruFu are certainly creative, but they're also full-blown scientists. 

The creators place sliced frozen fruit such as bananas, strawberries, mangoes, and even coconut into an "atmospheric leak controlled freeze-dried chamber" with temperatures so frigid that any ice manages to morph into a gas rather than a liquid, resulting in a perfectly preserved piece of fruit, original shape and all. The result is a light, airy bite with an unexpected crispy finish. Aside from the incredible texture and taste, the real kicker is that TruFu's process retains 97% of the fruit's nutritional properties, unlike other processed variations. There are some rival companies out there, like Crunchies and Natierra, but TruFru seems to have the most variety, bringing an assortment of fruit and chocolates together into clever fusions.