Fruit Dehydration Techniques
There are no firmly established fruit dehydration techniques because the variables change from case to case. This article will go over some basic guidelines for dehydrating your fruits. The temperatures and cook times will very from oven to oven. Follow these basic guidelines but start with a small amount of fruit at first. Starting out with a small amount of fruit will help you test out what techniques work best for you.
Solar drying is a very popular way to dry fruit. Solar drying is very simple but if largely depends on the weather. In order to practice solar drying the temperature outside should be above 95 degrees. Next the humidity must be very low. When you have these two factors in your favor you can dry your fruit outside.
Drying fruit in a oven is a much more common technique. The temperatures I am about to give depend on many factors, like your oven power and what fruits you are drying. Remember you are not cooking the fruit but drying it. Your oven's temperature should be around 150 to 160 degrees to evaporate moisture quickly. As soon as the outside of the fruit begins to feel dry the temperature should be dropped around 20 to 30 degrees. If you do not dry the fruit properly it will burn or the outside will dry too fast, trapping the moisture inside.
Rapid dehydration is what you are aiming for. When drying fruit outside remember humid airs slows down evaporation. Also you do not want to heat the fruit, let it cool, and reheat it. Doing this will cause bacteria and fungus. If you let the fruit cool before it is completely dry, you are better off throwing it away. Drying fruit takes time and effort. Do not expect to get it right on the first time. If you have never dried fruit before I suggest trying it first because the taste does differ from fresh fruit. Drying fruits cuts down on the levels of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Fruit dehydration techniques vary so it is best to find what works best for you and stick with it.
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