How can I make dried fruit?...Do I HAVE to have a dryer?!
How can I make dried fruit?...Do I HAVE to have a dryer?
Additional Details
4 weeks ago
I had dried strawberries one time that were SO good!
Answers:
4 weeks ago
I had dried strawberries one time that were SO good!
Using a dehydrator would be the way to go for most fruits. I'm sure walmart even sells them.
I sometimes just sun dry them, because I dont have a dryer either, and it works well.
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Choose Which Drying Method is Right For You
Sun Drying This is rather difficult because you need three to four sunny days of at least 100 degrees in a row.
Oven Drying Oven drying is an acceptable method of drying food, but it isn't very energy efficient, and foods aren't very flavorful in the end. If your oven cannot obtain temperatures below 200 degrees farenheit, use another method for food dehydration. You will need to prop open the oven door to maintain air circulation during the drying process.
Electric Dehydrating This is the best method of dehydrating food. An electric dehydrator is energy efficient and can be operated at low temperatures needed to maintain nutritive values in the food. Your electric food dehydrator should have some sort of heat control and a fan to maintain air circulation during the drying process.
check the website below for other important info on how to store ur dried fruit\veggies etc.....have fun
I would slice up the fruit and space them out on a cookie sheet with a silcot pad or parchment paper on the bottom. Have the oven at the lowest setting (200) and dry the fruit that way. Just keep an eye on it because I'm not sure how long what kind of fruit would take. (might take an hour or 2?).
I know you can do this with fresh herbs so why not fuit.
It would be easier with a dryer. Wal Mart has a dryer for under $40, and it does a great job.
If you have a piece of screen wire, like over your window. Wash it, and on a bright sunny day, slice your fruit thinly and lay on the screen. Put this in the rear window of your car, roll up the windows, and make sure the rear window has sunlight coming in all day. A couple of days and it will dry nicely.
OR, if you have a gas stove with a pilot light, just put them in the oven. If electric, leave a 1 inch opening in the door, and turn it on to the lowest setting you can.
I would also like to tell you that some fruits require sulfuring or dipping in ascorbic acid before drying or they will turn out very ugly. Check out these sites:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnu...
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic3...
Have fun!