Vegetable Flour

Vegetable and fruit flour: how to obtain and use it

This category includes numerous vegetable flours (tomato, spinach, carrot, and pumpkin) and fruit flours (cherry, peach...). Vegetable and fruit flours are obtained simply by drying fresh fruit in low-temperature ovens (to avoid altering the color and nutritional principles).

They are usually used for two reasons: to color (pasta, baked goods, creams...), to increase the concentration of vegetables/fruits in the preparation without adding liquids, or, when rehydrated with water, they produce creams comparable to those made from fresh fruit (but with the advantage of being ready immediately and having a long shelf life).

For coloring, they are used at 3-5% of the weight of the flour, and for creams, they are used at 10% of the weight of the liquids.

To preserve or intensify the coloring, it is advisable to acidify the preparation using pure acids (lactic, tartaric, malic, citric) or naturally acidic liquids like lemon, vinegar, but also sourdough. The recommended percentage of acid ranges from 1 to 2% (if pure) or, in the case of lemon juice or vinegar, up to 10%.

Vegetable and fruit flours are a valid alternative for preparing healthy, colorful, and intensely flavored foods. Check out our test on tomato powder here to discover all the secrets to achieving the best results.