How to dry fruit may be a pleasant hobby for the whole family, and the finished product as dried fruit is sure to be delicious but definitely with the various types and methods of the factory, it is different.
Dried fruit can be taken on the go as a snack, in addition to having culinary applications.
Drying food correctly and successfully results in edible food that retains its flavor, texture, and color well.
Choose the fruits and vegetables with the highest possible quality whenever you preserve food.
Drying food does not improve the quality of the food any more than other ways of preserving food do.
The University of Georgia determined that the following fruits retained either a "excellent" or "good" quality after being dried: apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, citrus peel, coconuts, currants, dates, figs, grapes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, and rhubarb.
Other fruits that were deemed "good" included currants, dates, and figs. There are a variety of other fruits that can be dried.
PREPARING FRUITS FOR DEHYDRATION Choose ripe, high-quality fruit and throw away any that shows signs of spoilage such as mold, bruising, or decay.
Remove any dirt from the fruit by carefully washing and cleaning it.
Slice the meal between c inches and 12 inches thick.
When the percentage of water in the food is higher, the size of the slices should be increased.
After all of the moisture has been removed from the food, the thin slices of the high-moisture foods will no longer be visible.
PRETREATING FRUITS It is essential, for both the quality and the safety of the finished product, to pretreat fruits with lighter colors before drying them.
The color and texture of the dried fruits are maintained when they are soaked in an acidic solution prior to drying, and this step also helps to ensure that any potentially hazardous bacteria are eliminated throughout the drying process.
The Colorado State University Extension was kind enough to share these treatment options with us.
Solutions that are Acidic
- Pretreatment with Ascorbic Acid One can get vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, in the form of pure crystals from local grocery and drug stores.
- To one quart of cold water, add 212 tablespoons of pure ascorbic acid crystals and stir until dissolved.
- This quantity of solution is sufficient to treat approximately 10 quarts of sliced fruit. Make the necessary adjustments to the proportions for smaller quantities.
- After soaking the fruit for ten minutes, take it from the liquid using a slotted spoon, ensure that it is thoroughly drained, and then dehydrate it.
- Pretreatment with Citric Acidis sold in the section of many grocery stores designated for canning food.
- Combine one teaspoon of citric acid with one quart of cold water by stirring it together.
- After adding the fruit and allowing it to soak for ten minutes, take it from the bowl using a slotted spoon, ensure that it is thoroughly drained, and then dehydrate it.
