APPLE, DICED (F24)

Fresh apples are among the most popularly consumed fruits in the United States. Fresh apples ripen and become available in the fall, although thanks to modern storage techniques and widespread cultivating on many continents they're available fresh, year round. Our Diced Dried Apples are processed at the peak of ripeness. They're picked, peeled and cored, then cut into cubes approximately 1/4 inch on each edge. Then they are mechanically dried and lightly treated with sulfites to preserve freshness. Apples are a member of the same botanical family as roses and are also related to peaches, plums, pears, almonds and apricots among many other plants grown for decorative or food-related uses. There is evidence of the planting of apple trees with the goal of harvesting the fruit going back to the earliest records of the Roman Empire, and indications of purposeful cultivation going back even longer ago than that in the hills and mountains between the Caspian and Black Seas in Asia.