bake - June 2016 - PAN43

of blueberries as healthy ingredients
has led to a surge in the popularity
and sales of them in all their
forms. Consumers want to include
blueberries in their daily diet.
With people reading labels
before they buy a product,
blueberries in the ingredient
statement say "wholesome" and
"natural" in a way that consumers
understand.
Blueberries and blueberry
formats in baked goods and snack
items can mean reductions in sugar
and high-fructose corn syrup (or
other sweeteners).
The popularity of the color
blue has made blueberries the ideal
choice for sprucing up ice cream
cones with baked-in blueberry bits,
punching up blueberry salsas and
barbecue sauces, and for adding
zest to pancake mix with dried
blueberries.
The rich color and sweetness
of the berries are an advantage in
pie and pastry fillings, croissants,
puff pastry and strudel, and even
filled donuts.
The sweetness of blueberries
livens up variety breads and a wide
array of baked goods. They add
excellent flavor and interesting
texture to creamy mixtures, and are
an excellent accompaniment, either
as a topping or mixed into the
product.  In addition, they contain

no fat and are a natural source of
dietary fiber.
Although not as widely known
as tropical fruits like the mango or
papaya, passion fruit lives up to its
name because customers absolutely
love the taste once they try it.
Passion fruit has been cultivated
and enjoyed because of the boost
to the immune system it provides.
Although this was unknown to most
people until modern times, this
immune strengthening property
was due to the presence of vitamin
C and carotene.
A single serving of passion fruit
has more than 100 percent of the
total required intake of vitamin C,
according to Organic Facts.
Passion fruit is shaped like
an egg and covered in a thick,
hard shell that is deeply wrinkled
when ripe. The aromatic, jelly-like
golden flesh is sweet-tart in flavor
and filled with edible seeds.
Passion fruit is generally eaten
fresh but may be cooked for use in
sauces and fillings. This tropical
fruit adds a distinctively appealing
flavor and texture to pastry desserts.
One simple example is to make
passion fruit tartlets by adding
the pulp and seeds directly onto
the tartlets before serving. To
use passion fruit in fresh form,
simply halve the fruit and scoop
out the pulp and seeds with a

spoon. Choose fragrant, shriveled,
wrinkled fruit that is rich in color.
If the skin is smooth, ripen at room
temperature and turn occasionally.
Eating fruit is an important part
of consumer eating habits, and a
trend that is reinforced by guidance
on the federal level. Released in
2016, the US government's new
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
2015-2020 create a favorable
climate for significant growth in
fresh produce consumption. What
this means to your bakery is that
consumers are seeking ways to
increase their consumption of fresh
fruits.
Kathy Means, vice president of
industry relations of the Produce
Marketing Association, notes that
the produce association applauds
the US Department of Agriculture
and Health and Human Services
for reiterating in the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans 20152020 the need for consumers to
significantly increase fruit and
vegetable consumption.
There are many more options
of fruits that can help leverage the
health connection of your bakery
to your customers, especially
the younger ones who rank the
importance of health higher than
other age groups. The trick is to
get started right away, before it's
too late.
JUNE 16

|

PANADERIA

43
bake - June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of bake - June 2016
