Pretreatment is not necessary but is recommends to prevent discoloration .Some people
may detect a slight flavor change with pretreated fruit. See the Fruit Drying Guide on page
6 to determine which fruit will benefit from the pretreatment. You may want to dry the
different options and see which you prefer.
Ascorbic acid(Vitamin C)-Ascorbic acid, available in tablet or powdered form, is available at
drugstores. Mix 2 1/2 tablespoons of powder ascorbic acid in 1 quart cold water. Vitamin C
tablet(six 500mg.tablets equal 1 teaspoons ascorbic acid) should be crushed before mixing
with water. Place cut fruit,such as bananas,peaches,apples,or pears, in mixture and soak for
10 minutes. Remove fruit and drain well before placing on drying trays.
Ascorbic acid mixture-These commercially available products,such as Mrs. Wages Fresh
Fruit Preserver ,are a combination of ascorbic acid and sugar and are commonly used for
fresh fruits and for canning and freezing Follow the manufacturers' directions for use of
these mixture.
Lemon juice-Mix equal parts lemon juice and cold water. Place cut fruit in solution and
soak for 10 minutes. Remove fruit and drain well before placing on drying trays.
Place piece of fruit on dehydrator trays in a single layer, close together but not touching or
overlapping.Refer to the Fruit Drying Guide on before for suggested preparation,and the
drying times. Dry fruit at 50-60℃.
Determining Dryness
Refer to the Fruit Drying Guide on before page and begin checking the fruit at the beginning
of the average drying time range. Remove a few pieces of fruit from each dehydrator tray
and allow to cool to room temperature. Fruits are acceptably dry when they are soft and
pliable, but not sticky. Fruit folded in half should not stick together. Apple and banana slices
can be dried until crisp, if desired. If fruits seem to have a lot of moisture remaining,
recheck every 1 to 2 hours. If fruits appear to be almost done, check again in 30 minutes.
Always check fruits from each tray.
Uses
Dried fruits make great snacks. They can also be added to trail mixes, cereals,
muffins,breads, and other baked products. Dried fruit can be used as is or softened prior to
use. To soften dried fruit, submerge in boiling water and soak for 5 minutes or place fruit in
a steaming.
Select ripe or slightly overripe fruit and remove any bruised areas. Wash fruit sand remove
peel, seeds, and stems. Cut fruit into chunks and using a food processor or blender, puree
until smooth(applesauce consistency). To get the pureeing process started, you may need
to add approximately 1 tablespoon of fruit juice or water.
If desired, fruit can be pretreated to preserve its natural color. Add 1½ teaspoons of lemon
juice to each 1½ cups pureed fruit. See the Fruit Drying Guide on page 6 to determine which
fruits will benefit from pretreatment.
The natural sweetness of fruit is intensified with drying. However, if preference is for a
sweeter fruit roll, you can add honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, or sugar to the pureed fruit
if desired. Try different amounts of sweeteners, staring with 1 tablespoon for each 1½ cups
of fruit puree, to find your preference. Fruit with sweeteners added will take longer to dry