Dehydrated fruit is the perfect snack to take hiking or backpacking, or even just to work for a quick pick-me-up. Dehydrated fruits are portable and contain natural sugars; in fact, dehydration concentrates the fruit's natural sweetness. Modern dehydrators make relatively quick work of even the juiciest fruit. If you cut the fruit into small pieces, the average time to dehydrate is eight hours compared to days spent drying the fruit naturally. Best of all, instead of throwing away fresh fruit, you can dry it and eat it whenever you want it.
Step 1
Wash the fruit and dry it; peel it if it has a tough outer skin.
Step 2
Cut the fruit into uniform slices, if necessary, and remove any seeds, pits or cores. Cutting the fruit into regular sizes will help the fruit dry quickly and evenly. Small berries, cherries or grapes do not need to be cut into smaller pieces.
Step 3
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze it into 12 cups cool water.
Step 4
Dip fruits that oxidize easily, such as pears, apples, peaches and apricots, into the lemon water to prevent them from browning.
Step 5
Place the fruit in even layers on a drying rack and insert into your dehydrator. Operate the dehydrator according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, you can heat your oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and dry the fruit inside it if you won't need your oven for a day or so.
Step 6
Check on your fruit after four hours, and then each hour after that. The time needed for the fruit to dry depends on several factors, including the moisture content of the fruit, the humidity in the air, the drying method you are using and the size of the pieces of fruit.
Step 7
Remove the fruit from the oven, if you used one, and let it sit for 12 hours on the stove top to complete the drying process. This step is not necessary if you used an electric dehydrator.
Step 8
Pack the fruit into airtight containers or plastic bags and store in a cool, dry place.
Things You'll Need
- 12 lbs. fruit of your choice
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- 1 medium lemon
- Dehydrator or oven
