Use and Care Manual

11
10
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 5.
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 12. Slice or cut vegetables into pieces that
are uniform in size. See guide for pretreatment information on specic vegetables.
Pretreatment
The process of blanching involves subjecting vegetables to a high enough temperature to
deactivate the enzymes. Blanching is necessary to stop the naturally occurring enzymes
from causing loss of color and avor during drying and storage. Blanching also relaxes
the tissue walls so moisture can more readily escape during drying and enter during rehy-
drating. Blanching can be done in water or steam. Water blanching causes a greater loss
of nutrients but is faster than steam blanching and achieves a more even heat penetration.
Steam blanching—Fill a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Place vegetables
loosely in a basket or colander that will allow steam to freely circulate around the
vegetables. Do not ll basket or colander with more than a 2½-inch layer of vegetables.
Position the basket or colander in the pot, making sure it does not contact the boiling
water. Cover with a close tting lid. Steam for the time indicated in the Vegetable
Drying Guide.
Water blanching—Fill a large pot ⅔ full with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Place
vegetables loosely in a basket or colander and submerge in the boiling water. Cover and
blanch for the time indicated in the Vegetable Drying Guide. Water should return to a
boil in less than 1 minute. If not, too many vegetables were added to the basket; reduce
the amount of vegetables added for the next batch. Water blanch for the time indicated
in the Vegetable Drying Guide.
Immediately after steam or water blanching, dip the vegetables in cold water to quickly
cool them. Drain the vegetables and arrange them in a single layer on the dehydrator
trays. Refer to the Vegetable Drying Guide for drying times.
Determining Dryness
Refer to the Vegetable Drying Guide and begin checking the vegetables at the beginning
of the average drying time range. Remove a few pieces of vegetables from each
dehydrator tray and allow to cool to room temperature. Test for dry ness by breaking the
pieces in half. Most vegetables will be crisp when appropriately dried and will break
easily. If vegetables do not break easily, additional drying time is needed. If vegetables