Drying Fruits Was a Means of Preservation in Eastern Europe

As is often the case in the culinary world, a necessity becomes a fad. In days gone by, and to some extent today, drying fruit was a way of preserving it for the harsh winter months in Eastern Europe. It was either eaten out of hand or incorporated into both sweet and savory recipes, and became a taste sensation.

When fresh fruits became available year-round, drying fruits continued because of their much sought-after intense flavors. Pickling is another instance of preservation becoming a taste people came to clamor for.

Meat roasts are often stuffed with dried fruits, usually prunes, and other dried fruits, and rasisins, especially, often end up mixed with grains like kasha or cracked wheat. Sometimes a combination of fresh fruit and dried fruit are used in a recipe, many times with the addition of nuts. Most braided yeast breads like chalka contain raisins.

Here are Top Eastern European Dried Fruit Recipes, which is by no means an all-inclusive list. There are so many ways Eastern Europeans use dried fruit in their cooking, it's impossible to list them all. Happy cooking!

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