How to Crisp Dried Fruit
Dehydration, drying and crisping are three of the methods by which food is preserved. All three yield products with a long shelf life, suitable for storage in emergency shelters or bins. There are different levels to which you can crisp or dry food items. Some of the dry fruits sold in the supermarket still have some moisture within, like pineapple, kiwi and apricot. You can tell because the fruit is pliable when bent. That means those fruits won't last as long without the potential for mold growth. Crisping the dried fruit fixes that problem. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Dried fruit (your choice)
- Dehydrator with temperature control
- Timer
- Food storage bags
- Labels
Instructions
-
-
1
Set up the base of the dehydrator on the kitchen counter. Make sure there is room all around the machine. This allows adequate airflow, necessary for proper crisping.
-
2
Cut up larger pieces of dry fruit for better crisping. Put each type of fruit on a separate dehydrator tray. Make sure the pieces are not touching. Stack the trays into the dehydrator and put the lid on top.
-
-
3
Set the dehydrator for no higher than 140 degrees. Turn on the timer for one hour, after which check the fruit. Properly crisped fruit will have a distinctive crunch sound if you crush it or cut it. Cycle around the drying trays, moving them from top to bottom if any of the fruit is not ready yet. Leave them to crisp further for 30 minutes, checking again when done. Repeat as necessary.
-
4
Put each fruit into a food storage bag, preferably a vacuum sealed one. Close the bag and label it with the date and fruit. If desired, make a few bags of mixed crisped fruit for granola and other similar recipes. In this form, the fruit has a shelf life of about 1 year.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
By extending the time in the dehydrator, you can use this method on slices of fresh fruit as a means of preserving it.
When you want to use the crisp fruit, cover it with boiling water for 15-60 minutes until it absorbs the liquid.
Watch any dried fruit with high sugar content or that's been commercially sugared. It's sensitive to temperature and may burn.
References
- University of Georgia Cooperative Extension: Drying Fruits and Vegetables
- Dehydrator Book: How to Dehydrate Fruit
- National Center for Home Food Preservation: Drying
- University of Virginia Extension: Using Dehydration to Preserve Fruits, Vegetables, and Meats
- University of Missouri Extension: Quality for Keeps - Drying Food
Resources
- Photo Credit dry fruit and nuts in baskets image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
