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Quick answer
To identify fake or poor dry fruits, check four things: colour, smell, texture and surface. Natural colour is uneven, not bright or uniform; fresh nuts smell sweet or of almost nothing; good nuts snap rather than bend; and a glossy, sticky or powdery coat that rubs off on a wet tissue is a sign of oil, dye or sugar added after drying.
Most problems in dry fruit are not fakes in the sense of something that is not a nut at all. They are old stock passed off as new, broken pieces sold at whole prices, and surface treatments that make a tired lot look fresh. All of them can be caught with your eyes, your nose and a glass of water.
What are the common signs of adulterated or old dry fruits?
The common signs are a smell that is sharp, sour or like paint, colour that is too bright or too even, a sticky or shiny coat, powder or webbing in the bag, and small holes in the kernels. Any one of these is a reason to look more closely before buying a kilo.
| Dry fruit | What to look for | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Kishmish (raisins) | Matte to lightly glossy, even size, loose | Oily shine that leaves a film on fingers |
| Pista (pistachio) | Green kernel, purple-brown skin in patches | Uniform bright green that stains a wet tissue |
| Akhrot (walnut) | Light kernel, heavy nut, mild sweet smell | Dark, oily kernel; bitter taste; paint smell |
| Khubani (apricot) | Orange if sulphured, brown if not | Sharp sulphur smell, or unlabelled treatment |
| Khajur (dates) | Soft, even skin, natural gloss | Glassy, sticky coat all over; sour smell |
| Kaju (cashew) | Pale ivory, whole, crisp snap | Halves in a “whole” bag; yellow or grey cast |
| Badam (almond) | Even brown skin, sweet smell, snaps | Tiny holes, powder, bitter kernel |
How do you spot polished raisins?
Rub a few raisins between your fingers and look at your skin: a greasy film means they have been polished with oil. A thin coat of oil is sometimes used legitimately to stop raisins sticking together, but a heavy, bright shine is often used to make a dull, old lot look fresh.
- The water test: soak a few raisins in warm water for ten minutes. A layer of oil on the surface, or water that turns noticeably cloudy or coloured, tells you there was a coating.
- Look for sugar crystals on the outside. Some sugar comes to the surface naturally as raisins age; a lot of it means old stock.
- Check that they separate. Raisins that stay clumped in a tight block have usually picked up moisture.
Raisins vary in colour by grape and drying, from greenish-gold to black, so judge the surface rather than the shade. The same tests apply to the Kishmish (Lambi Dakh) we keep.
How can you tell if pista is coloured?
Press a pista kernel onto a damp tissue or a wet fingertip: if green colour comes off, it has been dyed. Natural pistachio kernels are green to yellow-green inside, with a thin, papery skin that is purple, brown or reddish in patches. That variation is normal. A kernel that is the same flat, bright green all over, with no skin colour at all, deserves suspicion.
Shelled pista also goes stale quietly. Break one: it should snap and smell sweet and faintly resinous. A soft kernel that bends, or one that smells of old oil, is past its best. For which kind of pista to buy for which job, see our guide to pista kernels, katran and pishori, and our Pista Kernels are the everyday whole kernel.
How do you know if walnuts are rancid?
Smell them: rancid walnuts smell sharp, like paint or old cooking oil, and taste bitter. Most of the fat in a walnut is polyunsaturated, the kind that spoils fastest, so walnuts go rancid sooner than most nuts. A fresh kernel is light gold to light brown, smells mild and sweet, and tastes only faintly bitter from the skin.
- In shell: pick up a whole walnut and shake it. It should feel heavy for its size and should not rattle much. A light nut that rattles usually has a shrivelled kernel inside. Check the shell for cracks and holes.
- Kernels: the darker the kernel, the older or more heat-exposed it usually is. Look for dark, oily patches and for fine webbing or powder, which points to insects.
- Storage: once you have good walnuts, keep kernels in an airtight jar in the fridge in hot weather. Whole walnuts in shell keep longer.
Sulphured apricots and sugared dates
Bright orange dried apricots have almost always been treated with sulphur dioxide, which keeps their colour. Apricots dried without it turn dark brown. Sulphuring is a common, permitted way of preserving dried fruit, not a fake, but it should be declared, and people who react to sulphites should choose unsulphured fruit. A strong, sharp sulphur smell when you open the pack is a sign of heavy treatment. The same smell and colour checks apply to the Turkish Apricot we keep.
With dates, the thing to watch is a glassy, sticky coating all over the skin. Some dates are dipped in sugar syrup or glucose to make them shine and to hide dryness. Natural dates have a soft, even gloss and a slightly wrinkled skin. White sugar spots on the skin, on the other hand, can be natural: the fruit’s own sugar comes to the surface over time. A sour or fermented smell means the dates have gone off. Our guide on how to judge a good khajur covers the variety differences, and how to buy anjeer does the same for dried figs.
Broken kaju sold as whole
Tip a handful of “whole” cashews onto a plate and count the halves. A few split kernels turn up in any lot; a large share of halves and pieces means you are paying the whole-kaju price for something closer to faad. Broken cashews are perfectly good to eat, and cheaper, but they should be sold as broken.
Also look at the bottom of the bag. A little powder is normal. A lot of powder and chips means the lot has been handled many times, which usually means it is old. If you are cooking with the cashews, Kaju Tukda is the honest way to buy broken.
A quick checklist before you buy
- Smell the bag first. Sharp, sour, musty or paint-like means no.
- Look at the colour. Real dry fruit varies a little piece to piece. Perfectly uniform, very bright colour deserves a closer look.
- Snap one. Nuts should break cleanly, not bend.
- Rub one on a damp tissue. Colour or grease on the tissue means a coating.
- Check the bottom of the bag for powder, webbing and tiny holes.
- Taste one. Bitterness in a nut that should be sweet means it has gone off.
We weigh everything on our dry fruits shelf to order and send it across India; orders start at ₹1,000 and every order ships free. Try the checks above on whatever arrives. See today’s price on the Walnut Whole page.
Questions people ask
How can I check dry fruits at home without any equipment?
Use your nose, a damp tissue and a glass of water. Smell for rancid or sour notes, rub for dye or oil, and soak a few pieces to see whether a coating comes off.
Are shiny raisins bad?
Not always. A light coat of oil is sometimes used to keep raisins from sticking. A heavy, greasy shine that leaves a film on your fingers usually means a dull lot has been polished to look fresh.
Is it safe to eat a rancid nut?
One bitter nut will not usually do harm, but rancid fat tastes bad and has lost its quality. If a batch tastes bitter or smells like paint, throw it out rather than cooking with it.
Why are some dried apricots orange and some brown?
Orange apricots have usually been treated with sulphur dioxide to keep their colour. Brown ones are dried without it. Both are real apricots; the treatment should be stated on the pack.
Do almonds and cashews go bad?
Yes, slowly. Their fat goes rancid with heat, light and time. Keep them in an airtight jar in a cool place, and in the fridge during a hot summer.
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Written at our counter, where these questions get asked every week.
