> Any instinctos eating dried fruits here?

Yes, here.

> What varieties (can't just about anything be dried and consumed?), and

Yes, but the stop is not as clear as with fresh fruit.
We have 2 driers and put very ripe fruit on them, so that it is not
wasted. And sometimes we produce some "delicacies" like tried potato chips,
dried onion, avocado, meat or the like. The dried stuff can be carried
more easily while traveling or hiking.

> should there be other criteria than "organic" to take into account with
> such foods?

Yes, it must not be heated to high or (shock-) frozen. Both is very uncommon
with commercially available food.

> label goes through great trouble to point out that it is completely natural.
> It tasted good (somewhat of a burning sensation in my throat after about
> a tablespoon I had just a few minutes ago). Tastes better than bee pollen
> to me though. In any case, a little honey won't kill me I guess... but I
> do wonder if any instincto here can tell how natural honey is by taste/smell.

The burning is a good sign: The enzymes are still working.

In Europe many beekeepers have acquired the bad habit to feed their bees with
sugar during the winter. This goes into the honey and the stop becomes _much_
worse. I more than one ate 250g in one meal, feeling awkward afterwards.
This does not happen with really pure honey. In La Palma (Canaries), for
example, it is always warm and so the bees are not fed with sugar. I made
good experiences with organic honey, that I bought in a local store, there.

Karl