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.
- Prepare the Lemon Juice Pretreatment by combining equal amounts of cold water and lemon juice. 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.
CRACKING SKINS Certain fruits have skins that are very tough. Before the fruits as a whole can be dried, the skins need to be "cracked" in order for the dehydration process to be successful. Grapes, plums, cherries, berries, and other fruits with skins that are particularly tough can have their skins cracked by first being submerged in water that is rapidly boiling for 30 to 60 seconds, and then being submerged in water that is extremely cold. They should be drained on towels that are absorbent before being placed on drying trays. DRYING FRUIT Drying is not an exact way of preserving food, and the amount of time needed to dry fruit will differ depending on the equipment used, the quantity of moisture already present in the fruit, and the level of humidity in the surrounding air. Spray some vegetable spray onto a baking sheet or another similar-sized flat tray, or line the tray with plastic wrap or parchment paper and then spray some vegetable spray onto that. Another option is to use plastic sheets that have been specifically created for use with electric dehydrators and to do so in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Drying in the oven requires that you first ensure that your oven can sustain a temperature that is low enough; if it cannot, "case hardening" may result. This results in the development of a "crust" on the food, which stops the interior from drying out as it should.
In order to test your oven, turn the temperature setting all the way down. Put a temperature gauge that can withstand the heat of the oven on the rack that will hold the meal. Keep the door of the oven cracked open about 2 to 6 inches. Installing a fan in the area close to the open door will help to circulate the air. Verify that the temperature is correct. Dehydrating food requires an oven that can maintain a temperature between 140 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit consistently. If your oven meets these requirements, you can use it. The distance between each rack should be 2 inches, and there should be at least 3 inches of clearance on either side of the rack. Please refer to Table 1 for an estimate of the drying time. Apples: Select mature, firm apples. Thoroughly clean. Pear, including the core. Slice into rings or 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices, or cut the whole thing into quarters or eighths. Ten minutes should be spent soaking in ascorbic acid or another anti-darkening and anti-microbial solution. Remove from the solution and be sure to drain it well. Place in a single layer on the trays, with the pit side facing up. Dry until smooth, supple, and leathery; when cut, there should not be any moist area in the core (6 to 12 hours) Apricots: Pick fruit that is hard and completely ripe. Thoroughly clean. To remove the pit, cut it in half. Do not peel. Ten minutes should be spent soaking in ascorbic acid or another anti-darkening and anti-microbial solution. Remove from the solution and be sure to drain it well. 
Place the pit side up on the trays, with the cavity opened up to expose more of the flesh to the air. Arrange in a single layer. Dry until soft, malleable, and leathery; when cut, there should not be any moist area in the core (24 to 36 hours). Bananas: Pick fruit that is ripe and has a firm texture. Peel. Sliced at a thickness of 1/8 of an inch. Ten minutes should be spent soaking the item in citric acid or another anti-darkening and anti-microbial solution. Take out and drain well. Arrange the items on the trays in a single layer. Dry until brittle and leathery in appearance (6 to 10 hours) Berries: Select firm, ripe fruit. Thoroughly clean. You can either keep it intact or cut it in half. Berries with tough skins can be cracked by briefly submerging them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Berries like strawberries, which have delicate skins, should be submerged in a solution containing ascorbic acid or another antibacterial agent for ten minutes. Take out and drain well. Place on drying trays in a single layer no deeper than two berries. Dry the berries until they are brittle and make a rattling sound when shaken on the trays (24 to 36 hours). Choose cherries that have reached their peak ripeness. Thoroughly clean. Take off the stems and the pits. To crack the skins of entire cherry, blanch them for 30 seconds in hot water. You might also soak it for ten minutes in a solution containing ascorbic acid or another anti-microbial agent. Take out and drain well. Arrange the items on the trays in a single layer. To the point of becoming brittle, leathery, and slightly tacky, dry (24 to 36 hours)
Peel of citrus fruit: Choose oranges with thick skins that are free of mildew and decay and have not had any colorant added to them. Scrub the oranges thoroughly with a brush while they are being washed in cool running water. Peel the outermost 1/16 to 1/8 inch of the peel very finely, avoiding the bitter white section. Soak for ten minutes in a solution containing ascorbic acid or another anti-microbial agent. Remove from the solution and be sure to drain it well. Arrange the food on the trays in a single layer. Dry until crisp (8 to 12 hours). Figs:Select fully ripe fruit. Perform a thorough washing or cleaning using a moist towel. Peel if desired. If the figs are small or have only partially dried on the tree, let them whole. Large figs should be sliced into halves or slices. If you plan on drying the figs whole, you need first crack the skins by submerging them in hot water for thirty seconds. Figs that have been cut should be soaked for ten minutes in ascorbic acid or another anti-microbial solution. Take off, and then drain. Arrange the food on the trays in a single layer. Dry until the surface becomes leathery and flexible (12 to 24 hours). Grapes and black currants: Choose seedless versions of both of these fruits. Clean, separate, and cut off the stems. You can either cut it in half or leave it whole. If you plan on drying the whole fruit, you should shatter the skins by submerging them in hot water for thirty seconds. If the item is cut in half, soak it for ten minutes in ascorbic acid or another anti-microbial solution. Drain. Dry the meat until it is flexible and leathery, ensuring that there is no moist core (12 to 24 hours). Choose mature melons that are substantial and weighty for their size; cantaloupe dries better than watermelon. Scrub the surface outside thoroughly with a brush while it is running under cool water. Take off the outer layer, as well as any fibrous tissue and seeds. Slice between a quarter and a half an inch thick. Soak for ten minutes in a solution containing ascorbic acid or another anti-microbial agent. Take off, and then drain. Arrange the food on the trays in a single layer. Dry the meat until it is supple and leathery, making sure there are no pockets of moisture (6 to 12 hours).
Peaches and nectarines both Select ripe, firm fruit. Rinse and peel the fruit. To remove the pit, cut it in half. Depending on your preference, cut into quarters or slices. Ten minutes should be spent soaking the item in citric acid or another anti-darkening and anti-microbial solution. Take out and drain well. Place in a single layer on the trays with the pit side facing up. When there is no longer any visible juice, flip the halves over.Dry till it becomes leathery and has some pliability (6 to 36 hours). Pears: Select ripe, firm fruit. It is recommended that you use the Bartlett variety. Thoroughly clean the fruit. If you so choose, cut it apart. Remove the core by slicing the meat in half lengthwise. Slice between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick and cut into quarters, eighths, or slices. Ten minutes should be spent soaking the item in citric acid or another anti-darkening and anti-microbial solution. Take off, and then drain. Place in a single layer on the trays with the pit side facing up. Dry until springy and suede-like, ensuring there are no moisture pockets (6 to 10 hours for slices; 24 to 36 hours for halves). Plums & Prunes: Be sure to thoroughly wash. If the fruit is little, keep it whole; otherwise, remove the pit and cut it into half or slices. If the skins are left intact, place them in hot water for one to two minutes to shatter. If the item has been split in half, soak it for ten minutes in ascorbic acid or another anti-microbial solution. Take off, and then drain. Place the range in a single layer on the trays with the hit side facing up and the cavity facing out. Dry until supple and leathery in appearance (6 to 10 hours for slices; 24 to 36 hours for halves).