Owner Manual
7
Fruit Drying Guide
Dry fruit at 135°F or 57°C.
Drying times are highly variable and dependant on the type and amount of food, thickness, evenness of food pieces, humidity, air temperature,
personal preference, and age of the plant at the time of harvesting.
Fruit Preparation Pretreatment Average Drying Time
Apples Peel, if desired, core, and cut in rings or
slices, ⅛˝ to ¼˝ thick.
Ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid
mixture, or lemon juice.
4–9 hours
Apricots Cut in half, remove pit, and cut in quarters
or ¼˝ thick slices.
See apples. 8–16 hours
Bananas Peel and cut into ¼˝ thick slices. See apples. 7–12 hours
Blueberries Remove stems. Dip in boiling water for
30 to 60 seconds and then plunge in ice
water to crack the skin.
None 9–17 hours
Cherries Remove stems and pit. Cut in half, chop,
or leave whole.
None 15–23 hours
Cranberries Remove stems. Dip in boiling water for
30 to 60 seconds and then plunge in ice
water to crack the skin.
None 10–18 hours
Figs Remove stems. Small gs can be left
whole. Otherwise, cut in half. Dip whole
gs in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds
and then plunge in ice water to crack the
skin.
None 8–15 hours
Grapes Leave whole or cut in half. Dip whole
grapes in boiling water for 30 to 60
seconds and then plunge in ice water to
crack the skin.
None 13–21 hours
Kiwi Peel and cut into ¼˝ to ⅜˝ thick slices. None 4–6 hours
Nectarines Cut in half and remove pit. May also
quarter or slice ¼˝ thick.
See apples. 6–10 hours (slices)
36–48 hours (halves or quarters)
Peaches Peel if desired. Cut in half and remove pit.
May also quarter or slice ¼˝ thick.
See apples. 6–10 hours (slices)
36–48 hours (halves or quarters)
Pears Peel, core, and slice ¼˝ thick. See apples. 7–13 hours
Pineapple Peel, core, and slice ¼˝ thick. None 7–11 hours
Plums/Prunes Halve or quarter and remove pit. None 8–15 hours
Rhubarb Trim and discard leaves. Cut stalk into ¼˝
slices.
None 6–9 hours
Strawberries Remove the leafy crown. Halve or slice
¼˝ thick.
None 6–12 hours
Drying Vegetables
Dry vegetables at 125°F or 52°C. Vegetables dry much faster than fruits. At the end of the drying period, moisture loss is rapid. As
a result, vegetables need to be checked often towards the end of the drying time to prevent overdrying. Food turns brown when it is
overdried.
When drying smaller vegetables, such as peas or carrots, it is recommended that you place them on a mesh screen on the tray. A mesh
screen will help prevent smaller foods from falling through the grates in the tray during dehydration. See information on page 4.
Selection and Preparation
Wash vegetables to remove dirt and debris. Trim vegetables to remove brous or woody portions or bruised and decayed areas, peel,
and slice using the preparation information found on the Vegetable Drying Guide on page 8. Slice or cut vegetables into pieces that are
uniform in size. See guide for pretreatment information on specic vegetables.
Pretreatment
The process of blanching involves subjecting vegetables to a high enough temperature to deactivate the enzymes. Blanching is neces-
sary to stop the naturally occurring enzymes from causing loss of color and avor during drying and storage. Blanching also relaxes