Text C. Dried fruits

1. For many centuries the only method of keeping fruit eatable between one harvest and the next was drying. The fruit, whole or cut in half was dried on trays in the sun. Today this method is still used in regions with good climates, like the Mediterranean countries, California and parts of South Africa and Australia.

2. Other methods were invented as early as the 1st century A.D., when figs were put in oven to dry, and now there are modern dries with hot air circulated by machinery. These methods of drying are both quicker and more reliable than drying fruits in the sun.

3. To help drying or to improve the quality some fruits are first dipped in caustic soda to weaken their skins before drying. Others may be exposed to the fumes of burning sulphur to prevent them from losing their colour and to stop microorganisms growing on them. The fruits most often dried are prunes, figs, grapes, dates and apricots.

4. The prune is made from a type of plum with solid flesh and much sugar. The most important countries for dried figs are Turkey, Greece, Italy and Algeria. Grapes are dried in many countries and according to the variety of the grapes and the method used, are made into raisins, sultanas and currants. Apricots are cut in half, stoned and dried on trays in the sun and later in the shade or modern driers may be used.

5. In recent times other methods of preservation have been developed but drying remains one of the most important. One estimate is that about 5,000,000 tons of fresh fruit are used each year to produce some 1,000,000 tons of dried fruit.

V. Read the text D and retell it: