Not everyone enjoys dried fruit. But I do. Don’t get me wrong; given the choice I’ll usually reach for a fresh organic apple in preference to the dried alternative. But there are times when dried fruit comes in handy. One example that springs to mind is when I’m out hiking or tramping. Generally speaking, when I’m out hiking - usually in mountainous terrain - the last thing I want to be doing is carting around bulky provisions. Instead, I want food that’s light, nutritious, calorie dense and – if at all possible – tasty. Dried fruit fits the bill. Drying fruit is an ancient tradition. The Egyptians, Greeks, Phoenicians and Persians used drying techniques to preserve highly perishable foods such as grapes, prunes and figs. According...