Using a Food Dehydrator to Dry Fruit

       

A food dehydrator can be used to dry many different types of fruit, including bananas, melons, apples, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, pears, kiwi, and apricots. Note that all fruit should perfectly ripe before dehydrating.

So far, strawberries have been one of my favorites. No pretreatment is necessary, so preparing them is a snap. Just wash and slice into about 1/8 - 1/4 inch slices.

Melons, pineapple, kiwi fruit, cherries, raspberries, and blackberries also need no pretreatment. After washing, just spread the berries directly on the trays.

Melons, obviously, should be cut off the rind and cut into pieces. Watermelon will need also to have the seeds removed. Kiwis just need to be peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices.

Pineapple should be cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch rings. Some folks find it easier to slice the pineapple first and then core and peel each slice. The rings can be cut into wedges, if desired.

Apples can also be dried directly, if you can slice them quickly and get the dehydrating process going right away. Otherwise, see directions below for pretreatment.

To prepare blueberries and cranberries, wash, cut them in half, and drop 'em in boiling water until the skins split (1 - 2 minutes). Then place the berries on the trays.

Cherries should be washed, pitted, and cut in half or chopped - or you can just leave them whole (after removing the pits) and place them on the trays.

Typically, bananas, apricots, peaches, and pears are pretreated to prevent darkening of their color. Two common methods of pretreatment are dipping in an ascorbic acid solution or a honey/sugar solution.

First remove the skin from the fruit. A quick way to do this with apricots and peaches is to dip them in boiling water for about a minute and then in cold water for a minute. The skins will then slip off easily.

Apricots and peaches can be cut in half and dried as is or you can slice them up into smaller pieces. The ideal is for all pieces to be similar in size, so they dry evenly.

Bananas should be cut into thin slices and pears can be sliced or chopped. Apples should be peeled and cored, then sliced into 1/4-inch slices or rings.

After being cut up, the fruit now can be dipped into the ascorbic acid or honey/sugar solution.

To prepare the ascorbic acid solution, stir 2 tablespoons of ascorbic acid powder (found at most natural food stores or drug stores) into 1 quart of warm water. Soak the fruit in the solution for a few minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon. Allow to drain thoroughly before placing on trays.

For the honey/sugar solution, dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 3 cups of hot water. After solution cools to lukewarm, add 1 cup of honey. Dip fruit in batches of 1/2 to 1 cup. Removed with slotted spoon and drain well before dehydrating.


See also:
Excalibur Food Dehydrator
Dehydrating Vegetables - part 1
Dehydrating Vegetables - part 2

Posted by Beth on Sunday, August 13, 2006