Where: Yarrawonga, Moira Shire, Yorta Yorta Country
Who: Founder and owner Tracie Holgate
What is freeze-drying?
It’s a way of preserving food by freezing it and then applying a vacuum, which draws out all the moisture. This process makes the food crisp and intensifies the flavour. It also preserves the nutrients, and we don’t need to add any preservatives whatsoever. That said, I do dip the apple slices in a little lemon water to stop them browning, as any home cook would.
What does it taste like?
The flavours are intensified – if an apple is lovely and sweet, it will not only become sweeter, but the acid balance will also be heightened. When you try the plums – my favourite – there’s such a beautifully intense rich plum aroma, mouthfeel sweetness, and that tingle of natural fruit acid. You can almost taste the vitamin C. My freeze-dried bananas are crisp and crunchy, filling the mouth with a rich tropical banana aroma and tasting like a confectionery banana.
How do you use it?
Freezed-dried fruits make great ready-to-eat and healthy snacks. I love to pair them with cheese. Our persimmons are sliced into rounds and are the perfect gluten-free crisp to serve with a chunk of parmesan or an aged cheddar. The riper and uglier the fig, the better for us – they have an almost caramel flavour and are perfect spread with a little Victorian blue cheese.
Where do you get your fruit?
We source our fruit from farmers in the Murray and Goulburn valleys. Sometimes we find a farmer at the farmers’ market who may have a surplus of a certain fruit, and we can buy it from them. We also take seconds because, for us, it’s all about the flavour.
Where can we find you?
Find us at the farmers’ markets in Echuca, Williamstown, Bayside (Sandringham), Violet Town, and Daylesford. If you’re in the north of the state, look out for our products at Rich Glen in Echuca and Yarrawonga, Glenrowan Providore, and Fowles winery in Avenel. Or you can buy online at ttsharvest.com.au.