Restaurant owners are always looking for ways to bring fresh, innovative menu ideas to their customers. And one of the core considerations when planning these menus is raw ingredients. Get the raw ingredients right, and you have a more successful final dish. Frozen fruit has an important role in the restaurant kitchen. And IQF fruit could be even more useful for the restaurant owner.
Here is a short guide to IQF fruit and what you can expect when you use this raw ingredient in your menu.
What is IQF?
IQF is a quick way of saying Individually Quick Frozen. This means that the freezing process is rapid enough to maintain each piece of fruit separate from the rest. It also works with other foods. Think about frozen peas; these do not come in one lump in a bag, they are separate and are therefore easier to use.
IQF Freezing Process
The IQF freezing procedure involves rapidly freezing the product at extremely low temperatures to prevent ice crystals forming. Ice crystals affect the taste and the appearance of the fruit. The low temperature retains the shape of the fruit and its taste, colour and smell. These are retained after defrosting and when the fruit is used in the finished item. IQF fruit is used in desserts, ice cream, baked goods, dairy products and cakes, among other menu items.
Why Use IQF Instead of Regular Frozen Fruit?
As described above with the frozen peas example, IQF fruit is easier to work with. You don’t end up with a mass of fruit that needs to be thawed before you can separate it. You can use the fruit pieces straight from the freezer. IQF fruit maintains the integrity of each fruit piece or lump. It is useful when you want to create dishes or products that need individual fruit pieces to be easily visible. It is less suitable when you need a fruit flavour without fruit pieces, or when you want to create a fruit drink.
How Healthy is IQF Fruit?
Experts agree that frozen fruit, when frozen and handled correctly, is just as healthy as fresh. In fact, consuming frozen fruit could be even healthier since there is no risk of the fruit going bad quickly. IQF fruit is healthy because it is frozen quickly, thus retaining the maximum levels of nutrients. These nutrients are then retained within the fruit for longer.
Where to Buy IQF Fruit
Look for IQF fruit suppliers UK-based for quality and reliability. The suppliers can be based in the UK and source fruit from across the globe and should provide full traceability for the source of the product. High-quality fruit suppliers can offer a variety of sizes, shapes and quantities to suit your needs.
In short, IQF fruit is a reliable and effective menu choice for making a wide variety of restaurant dishes. The convenience and quality of IQF fruit are important advantages when you consider using this restaurant staple.
