Fruit farmers may add value to their fruit through a series of processes. The fruit can be dried, canned, made into jams, pureed, sugar-coated or juiced. Processing may take place on the farm, as is the case with most dried fruit, or in proximity to the farm, as is the case with canned fruit.
There is a misconception that only fruit that is unsuited for the fresh market is processed. While most lower grade fruit may end up in the juice market or pureed into fruit rolls, the puree set aside for the baby food market is generally of an excellent standard. Quality standards for the canning and the dried market is also high in terms of fruit quality and sizes.
Although dual varieties exist and a lot of fruit that does not make the grade in the fresh market is processed, many varieties have especially been developed for specific uses, such as canning or drying.