Eating dried fruit is the special custom of this holiday on which we celebrate nature and its fruits and therefore, in honor of Tu Bi'Shvat (and for other reasons too), we want to tell you about a special place in the Western Galilee in Israel.

At the end of Moshav Betzet is a special orchard, full of the charm of the Galilee and the land of Israel, which produces dried fruit with a special emphasis on health. The dried fruits are 100% natural. They have no preservatives or added sugar and are gluten-free.

Idan HaPri was founded by a young couple (Idan and Nadav), with the aim of providing 100% natural dried fruits, from orchard to table, and introducing and educating people about the option of an eating experience that is “naturally sweet.”
Nadav is one of the moshav’s fourth generation: his grandfather founded the moshav in the 1950s and the family still enjoy the fruit of the first trees he planted. 

The farm was passed down through the family from generation to generation. When Idan, a food engineer by profession with a particular interest in sport, joined the family, this was a turning point for the farm. With the couple’s combined knowledge, the idea of the project was only a matter of time.

 

“I remember the special date, it was June 14, 2011; Nadav asked me to do something with the bananas, so I baked a cake. After I baked the cake and we were all full, I looked for another original idea to deal with the issue of what to do with all the bananas, and then everything started.”

Idan

 

You can visit the Idan HaPri farm for a fascinating tour that follows the process of drying the fruit on the site. The tour begins in the orchard, where the visitor meets the farm’s special crops. You will encounter special fruits such as red oranges, as well as taste apple-flavored bananas, followed by the special fruit drying process, which preserves the fruit’s nutritional values (fruit-drying factories usually pick the easy way in order to speed up processes and increase output.  For instance, deep-frying bananas in oil, is a good example of how the sector shortens processes in an unhealthy way). Idan and Nadav are meticulous about production by hand with great attention to detail. After the harvest, the fruit is washed, peeled and sliced. It is then dipped in lemon juice and dried at low temperatures in order not to damage the fruit’s nutritional values, and therefore there is no damage to vitamins and minerals during the drying process.

After the tour, they offer a special workshop in which you can learn how to prepare special foods using dried fruit.  Have you heard of sushi made from dried fruit!?

Instead of seaweed, we use dried guava, spread jam on it and replace the traditional rice with coconut flakes. We fill the inside part with various dried fruits to make a unique food product that you won’t find anywhere else.

 

Photo of sushi:

 

The Western Galilee–Dallas, Texas Partnership has raised the banner of entrepreneurship in the Western Galilee, and is glad of the connection with young entrepreneurs from the Western Galilee who see their work as a mission and a continuation of their parents and grandparents who founded the moshavim in the region, taking it in new, modern directions that advance the entire region.

 If you are planning a visit to Israel, and want to take part in a fascinating activity that combines dried fruit, chocolate and Zionism, contact the Federation and the Partnership and enjoy Idan HaPri and other unique places in the Western Galilee!

 

Do you want to try to prepare dried fruit yourself? This is what you need to do:

 

 

DRIED APPLE/PEAR/PEACH/PERSIMMON SLICES

 

Preparation:

Cut the fruit with the rind into 0.5 cm slices. Make the slices as even as possible. If you have a mandolin, use the thicker part. (You can also use a vegetable peeler.)

 Directly arrange the fruit slices on the oven rac :Control group

Variable group: Dip the fruit slices into the liquid for a few minutes and then arrange on the oven rack.

 

A few different liquids for the variable groups can be prepared:

Dip into lemon juice. Squeeze a whole lemon into a bowl and add two cups of water.

Dip into honey water. Mix three tablespoons of honey and two cups of water in a bowl until completely dissolved.

Dip into sugar water. Mix three tablespoons of sugar and two cups of water in a bowl until completely dissolved.

After all of the fruit is arranged on the racks, turn on the oven to the lowest temperature (60-80 C°) for about two hours. Keep checking that the fruit is drying out and is becoming less elastic.

Let it chill and then enjoy!

Store in a sealed jar for up to two months.