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Photo via Flickr member Christina Claßen
I was a fan of dried fruit from a very young age. Of course, at that time my tastes ran to the super sweet: fruit that was flat and rolled up in a tight snack pack. As I got older and wiser, my tastes became more mature, and my repertoire began to include dehydrated fruit both chewy and crunchy, eaten in trail mix or granola, or just enjoyed straight.
Dried fruit is a delicious and functional snack. It’s healthy, easily transportable, and crowd-pleasing. It can also be used in other culinary exploits, whether you’re making homemade granola, vaguely healthy cookies, or it can even be diced and added to savory dishes for a piquant, bright flavor.
Making dried fruit might seem inaccessible. After all, don’t you need a dehydrator to make that happen? As it turns out, no, you don’t. Here’s a guide to 10 fruits you can dry without a dehydrator.
What is dried fruit?
What exactly do I mean when I say dried fruit? Dried fruit is fruit which has had a majority of its moisture removed, so that it becomes shelf-stable. Think: raisins, dried mango slices, et cetera. Dried fruit can be kept intact, or diced into small slices. It can even be pureed to form the infamous fruit leather mentioned in the beginning of the post.
Photo via Flickr member cowbite
Why dried fruit? As previously mentioned, dried fruit is a go-to snack for many reasons. It’s easily transportable, doesn’t require refrigeration, keeps well for long periods of time. It’s also healthy–it maintains many benefits of eating fruit. Some may argue that it is a fairly high calorie snack, but the fact is, it’s still much more nutritionally dense than other transportable snacks such as chips or candy bars.
Preparing dried fruit: If you were eating fruit out of hand, you’d wash and dry it first. Do the same for the fruit you’re preparing to dry, because the temperature of the oven may or may not be hot enough to kill bacteria, depending on the recipe. Remove skin or peel, if applicable, and remove seeds or pits.
Considerations:
These tips will ensure drying success:
- Don’t slice too thick or too thin. A good size for slices of apple, pear, or similar fruits is ½ inch. Too thin and they’ll become too crispy; too thick and they’ll remain too soft in the middle.
- Make sure that the slices are even in size. If some slices are thicker or much larger than others, your fruit won’t dry evenly.
- Have you ever wondered why many dried fruits in the supermarket contain sulphur? It is to make the fruit maintain its coloring. You can ensure minimal loss of color by sprinkling or dipping fruit slices in lemon juice or in a mix of 2 tablespoons ascorbic acid mixed with one quart of water.
10 fruits you can dry without a dehydrator
A basic method: if the individual recipes below are too hard to remember, this recipe tutorial will teach you a method to dehydrate just about any fruit. It can be applied to all of the fruits listed below, though bake times may vary.
Photo via Flickr member tusnelda
Apples: Sliced apples with a sprinkling of lemon juice can be put in the oven at 200 degrees for a few hours, until crisped to your desired point. Dried apple slices can be slow baked to your preference. The finished slices are great in yogurt, or granola mixes.
Apricots: You can use the same method as apples above for drying apricots, but because of their smaller size, they will require less baking time. Dried apricots are great for any of the same uses as apples, and are a great addition to apricot and chocolate cookies.
Avocado: These dried avocado chips are not made in the oven…but in the microwave. A three-minute zap is all they need to be dehydrated and ready for dip! These make a healthy snack rich in “good” fat.
Photo via CakeSpy
Bananas: Once being coated with lemon juice, banana slices can be roasted in a 200 degree oven for a few hours or until crisped to your liking. according to. Delicious, homemade banana chips! Eat them straight, or use them as a border for a fancy banana pie.
Blueberries: These small berries can be coated with honey (optional) and baked in a 225 degree oven until toasty, about 2 hours, yielding simple, nutritious dried blueberries. Your morning yogurt just got a million times better.
Photo via Flickr member cookylida
Citrus slices: Citrus slices may take longer in a low oven as noted, so you might consider a slightly higher temperature. Easy sweetened citrus slices can be made with your oven set to 200 degrees, with an amount of sugar which can be adjusted to taste. These citrus slices are perfect as a dessert garnish.
Kiwi: You can create dried kiwi slices by following the same method for drying citrus slices as listed above. I suggest removing the fuzzy skin from kiwis before dehydrating in the oven, as it can become hard and chewy (not in a good way) once baked.
Photo via flickr member saitowitz
Pears: Using the same method for apples as listed below, you can create dried pear slices. Pear slices can be used in any of the same ways as dried apple slices.
Strawberries: Dried strawberries can fancy up your granola. Toasty dried strawberries can be yours in just a few hours: simply dip slices in lemon juice, then heat the sliced strawberries in a 200 degree oven for about 4 hours.
Photo via Flickr member olgucz
Tomatoes: Don’t have time to wait for the sun to dry your tomatoes? Make it happen faster in the oven. ”Sun-free” dried tomatoes can be made by roasting sliced tomatoes at 250 degrees F for about 4 hours, with olive oil and seasonings. Dried tomato slices make salads, pizza, and sandwiches fancier and more delicious.
Storage tips: Store your dried fruit in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.
What is your favorite way to eat dried fruit?