Dried citrus slices (orange, lemon, mandarin and clementine slices) are one of the most underrated ingredients in the premium food industry. They are needed where the aroma must be stable at room temperature, the shelf-life long, and the visible presence of the fruit is part of the perceived value.
What they are and how they are produced
Dried slices are citrus fruit slices (with peel, mesocarp and pulp) 4-6 mm thick, subjected to drying at low temperature (45-55°C) for 18-30 hours. The result is a stable product with 8-12% residual humidity, storable at room temperature for 12-18 months without significant loss of aroma and colour.
The main types in the industrial catalogue:
- Blonde orange slices (caliber 50-75 mm)
- Blood orange slices (Tarocco, Moro, Sanguinello)
- Lemon washers (caliber 35-55 mm)
- Mandarin washers (caliber 35-50 mm)
- Clementine rounds (caliber 40-55 mm)
Confectionery industry
The confectionery industry uses washers in three main ways:
Chocolate shop.Dark chocolate bars with candied or natural dried orange slices are one of the fastest growing niche formats. The washer, immersed in chocolate at 32°C, maintains its structure and becomes the visual element of the product. Typical Brix required: 50-65 after candying, 18-22 without candying.
Industrial artisanal panettone and colombe.The washers are broken into flakes and added to the dough as an alternative or complement to traditional candying. They provide fiber, volatile aroma, reduce added sugar.
Premium biscuits.Decorative inserts on shortbread, biscuits, tea biscuits.
Industrial beverage and mixology
Premium industrial beverages (canned gin and tonics, RTD cocktails, fruit infusions) use dried washers for two reasons:stable aromaat room temperature evisible presenceof the fruit in bottles (in flavored wine, in industrial artisanal liqueurs, in infused spirits).
The typical size is whole 35-55 mm for visible bottles. For industrial infusions and sachets, the rounds are pre-cut into quarters or eighths.
Herbal teas and infusions
The market for herbal teas and fruit infusions is growing at double digits annually. Dried rounds are the most important aromatic active ingredient in many mixtures “citrus and ginger”, “lemon and honey”, “orange and cinnamon”. For this use the caliber is reduced: broken into pieces 8-15 mm, mixed with leaves, flowers and roots.
Decoration of fresh products
Industrial ice cream shops and artisanal pastry shops use dried rounds asdecorative toppingof cakes, tubs of ice cream, packaged panna cotta. The difference with fresh fruit is that the dried washer does not release humidity and therefore does not wet the product on the shelf.
Technical purchase parameters
The four parameters to check:
- Residual humidity: 8-12% to avoid mould, below 8% for collapse during transport.
- Aw (water activity): below 0.65 to guarantee shelf-life without preservatives.
- Appearance and color: intact, without burns from too high temperatures in the dryer.
- Origin: Italian vs Moroccan vs Egyptian washers. The difference in aroma is clear.
Packaging
The washers must be protected from environmental humidity. Industrial standard packaging: multilayer moisture barrier bags of 1 kg, 2.5 kg, 5 kg, with aluminized PET interior. Storage in a dry environment, away from heat sources.
See our catalog of dried washersCalabrian: orange, lemon, mandarin, clementine.
