Regular home bakers
If fruit loaves, cakes or breakfasts use up dried fruit regularly, a larger bag may fit your routine. Check whether the recipe calls for plain fruit or a mix containing candied peel.
Who each pack size may suit
Occasional users and smaller households
A 500g bag may be easier to finish than a 1kg bag when dried fruit is used only now and then. Read the after-opening instructions before choosing how much to bring home.
Shoppers checking ingredients and allergens
Names such as “mixed fruit” do not tell you every ingredient. Read the current label if candied peel, oils, preservatives or allergens affect your choice.
What to check before choosing a pack
Start with the fruit your recipe or meal calls for, then choose a pack size you can use under its labelled storage conditions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pack size | Compare the weight with how often you use that fruit. Check the best-before date and after-opening instructions. | I use dried fruit regularly enough to finish a larger bag, or I would rather top up with 500g for occasional recipes. |
| Fruit and recipe | Check whether the pack contains raisins, sultanas, currants or a blend. Look for candied peel and its ingredients in baking mixes. | My recipe calls for plain raisins, or I specifically want a mixed-fruit blend with peel. |
| Storage | Read the instructions for resealing, refrigeration and use after opening. Whitworths says to refrigerate its Mixed Fruit and consume it within two weeks once opened. | I need a bag I can store as directed and finish within any stated after-opening period. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredient and allergen information on the exact pack. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphites are used in some dried fruit. | I check each pack for ingredients or allergens relevant to my household rather than relying on the fruit name alone. |
| Portions | The NHS states that 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes. | A large bag does not decide my serving size; I want to know how much I am putting into a meal. |
Avoid these pack-size mistakes
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Buying more than you will use
An opened bag may have storage instructions that matter well before you finish it. Whitworths, for example, specifies refrigeration and use within two weeks after opening its Mixed Fruit.
Check the instructions on the exact pack and choose a size that fits how often you use it.
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Assuming mixed fruit means plain fruit
A baking mix can contain candied peel alongside raisins, sultanas and currants. Sainsbury's lists candied mixed peel in its 1kg Mixed Dried Fruit.
Match the ingredient list to your recipe; choose a single-fruit pack when that is what the recipe requires.
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Relying on the product name for an ingredient check
Products made with the same named fruit can have different additional ingredients. M&S lists sunflower oil in its 500g raisins.
Read the current label on each product, particularly when ingredients or allergens affect your choice.
Brands and their dried-fruit ranges
Tesco
Tesco lists dried-fruit formats ranging from a 60g mixed-raisin pack to a 500g dried mixed-fruit bag.
- The listed 500g mixed-fruit format may suit a household topping up for several recipes.
- Check the exact pack label for its ingredients and storage instructions.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a 1kg Mixed Dried Fruit pack for households that use a baking blend regularly.
- Its listed blend contains sultanas, raisins, currants and candied mixed peel.
- The candied peel contains glucose-fructose syrup, so this is not a plain-fruit-only mix.
Whitworths
Whitworths Mixed Fruit combines sultanas, raisins, currants and candied citrus peel.
- The named fruits and peel make its intended use as a mixed-fruit ingredient clear.
- Its instructions specify refrigeration and consumption within two weeks after opening; its candied peel also contains sulphur dioxide.
M&S
M&S lists several fruit types and formats, including 500g raisins and 1kg Turkish sultanas.
- The range offers a choice between individual fruits and mixed dried fruit.
- Its 500g raisins list sunflower oil; read the current label and reseal the pack after opening as directed.
Dried fruit packs on Joybuy
These packs cover 500g raisins, sultanas and prunes, plus Hetian dates in 500g and two-pack formats. Choose by fruit type and the amount you expect to use; they are not interchangeable ingredients in every recipe.
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Morrisons Raisins 500g
A 500g raisin pack to consider when a recipe calls for raisins rather than mixed fruit. Check the current ingredient and storage information on the pack.
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Morrisons Sultanas 500g
This 500g pack fits a top-up when sultanas, rather than raisins or a mixed-fruit blend, are on the ingredient list. Check the pack label for additional ingredients and storage directions.
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HETIAN-YVZAO Dried Hetian Date (Large) 500g ×2
Two 500g packs of dried Hetian dates for someone who uses this fruit regularly. Dates are a different ingredient from raisins or mixed baking fruit; check the storage instructions for both packs.
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Morrisons Dried Pitted Prunes 500g
A 500g pitted-prune pack for recipes or meals calling specifically for prunes, not a substitute to assume for raisins or mixed fruit. Read the current ingredients and storage directions.
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HETIAN-YVZAO Dried Hetian Date (Large) 500g
The 500g format is an alternative to the two-pack of the same named dates when you expect to use less. Check the label for ingredients and after-opening storage directions.
Dried-fruit pack questions
Is a 1kg dried-fruit bag always the right top-up?
No. Choose 1kg when you use that fruit regularly and can follow its after-opening instructions. For occasional use, a 500g bag may be easier to finish; also check that the larger bag contains the fruit your recipes need.
Can mixed dried fruit replace plain raisins?
Not in every recipe. Sainsbury's 1kg Mixed Dried Fruit includes sultanas, raisins, currants and candied mixed peel made with glucose-fructose syrup. Check the ingredients when a recipe calls specifically for raisins.
How much dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion?
The NHS states that 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion. Its guidance advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals.
Should I check a dried-fruit pack for sulphites?
Yes, if sulphites are relevant to your ingredient or allergen checks. The Food Standards Agency notes that they are used in some dried fruit, and Whitworths lists sulphur dioxide in its Mixed Fruit. Read the current label of the exact pack you intend to buy.
How should I store a larger bag after opening?
Follow that product’s label rather than assuming all dried fruit has the same instructions. Whitworths says to reseal and refrigerate its Mixed Fruit and consume it within two weeks after opening; M&S instructs shoppers to reseal its raisins pack.