Whether Scots like it or not, they love dried fruit even if they don’t realise it.

White pudding is a classic example. It’s full of sultanas and prunes and it’s beautiful. This kind of stuff is right up my street and it got me thinking that most people love dried fruits but don’t realise they are eating it.

The Scots have something in them that’s drawn to dried fruits. They must have because they came up with Dundee cake and it is one of the best things in the world. I could eat it forever.

So I’ve decided to come up with a couple of quick recipes to show want you can do with dried fruits.

First up is a breakfast treat: wrap some smoky bacon around some prunes, fry them with onions and serve them on toast. You can even chuck a bit of brown sauce on them for extra pep. Prunes go with anything. Anything roast potatoes can do prunes can do.

Dried fruit also works well with roast pork: drop it into the gravy with some thyme and serve. Or why not make a quick marmalade with them? All you have to do is boil some apricots with some water, sugar, apple juice and apple zest then half blitz it and chuck it in the fridge. It’ll keep for two weeks and it’s delicious.

Another favourite of mine is adding roasted apples to gravy and serving it with venison. Add a bit of Calvados, a splash of vinegar, apples, parsnips and potatoes to a roasting tray: top notch.

Roasted pears go with most meats and figs work wonderfully well with chicken. Put them under the grill until they go crispy and serve.

However, it is all about balance. If you use too much you’ll make the dish too sweet, so taste everything and don’t go crazy.

Cranberries are not the most popular of dried fruits but they love olives and strong flavours like lemon juice and cider vinegars. They also make a lovely wet salad that can be served as a delicious addition to most dishes.

Bananas are fantastic when they are dry fried with bacon, beans and maple syrup.  You can also bake fresh bananas in the oven for around an hour and a half until they go black, then place them in the fridge to cool, peel and eat them. This turns the insides into a chewy jelly that is delicious, it’s like a jacket potato and you can add nuts, syrups or even salt for an added kick.

Dried pineapple with spices and chilli peppers works really well with gammon and sultanas can make a great base for a vegetarian haggis.

Another treat is to add dried fruit and nuts to the stuffing for roast pork, it just works so well. Or why not try making a classic Yorkshire apple and sultana pie and adding a big wedge of Wensleydale to the top with some dried fruit and nuts? You won’t be disappointed. And fried dates and pistachios are fantastic served with creamy mash and fried black pudding.

Dried fruits also make fantastic salads. Why not add raisins to stewed beetroot, horseradish, onions, orange zest, pancetta and chilli? You can even put a fried egg on top for extra flavour.

Coleslaw with grated cheese, peanuts and dried apricots and mangos also works really well and can be served on its own or as the filling for baked potatoes or buckwheat pancakes.

If you’re craving a quick desert, why not try making a quick mango meringue pie with dried mangos, meringue and rice pudding?

Figs mixed with carrot and potato puree makes a wonderful side. Or, if you’re looking for a fruity twist to your sausage and mash, add dried blueberries and pine nuts in while frying the sausages and onions for an extra chewy sweetness.

I think the fascination with dried fruits is all down to the fact that we like the sweetness and saltiness and the textures.

All meats are lovely but they need a little bit of a leg up, don’t we all sometimes, and that’s what dried fruits can give them. So why not give them a try?

 

Bananas are high in fibre but did you know that they contain around 75 percent water?

Here are 10 more fascinating facts that you might not know about bananas.

1 Bananas are naturally radioactive because they contain relatively high amounts of potassium-40, a radioactive isotope of potassium. However, there’s no need to worry as this naturally occurring radiation have very little effect on the body.

2 A banana plant is actually classed as a herb.

3 A bunch of bananas is sometimes called a hand, while a single banana is called a finger

4 Eating a banana can cheer you up. The banana is the only fruit that contains amino acid tryptophan and vitamin B6, which together help the body produce serotonin.

5 Over 100 billion bananas are eaten annually worldwide.

6 Banana plants belong to the same botanical family as lilies, palms and orchids.

7 The goldfinger banana is a hybrid, created by Philip Rowe, which tastes like an apple.

8 There are approximately 1,000 different types of banana plant in the world but most are unpalatable.

9 Bananas are one of the healthiest natural food sources around. They contain almost no fat, are low in calories and high in vitamin B6, fibre and potassium.

10 Fibres taken from banana plants can be used to make clothes.