How to Dry Pomegranates in a Food Dehydrator
Prized for their nutritional value, pomegranates are easy to dehydrate in a large capacity food dehydrator. You can leave the pomegranates whole or open them up and remove the seeds. Dehydrated pomegranate seeds can be ground up and used as a spice and are a popular additive in Indian cuisine, closely resembling the flavor of sumac or tamarind. They can also be baked into cookies or blended into a paste for a tasty fruit leather. Whole pomegranates can be dried and worked into floral arrangements and are easily dried in a food dehydrator. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
Whole Pomegranates
-
1
Poke a hole in the skin of the pomegranate with the skewer. About four holes in the crown of the fruit will do just fine.
-
2
Place the pomegranates in the food dehydrator. Because of their large size, it helps to have a large food dehydrator if you are going to dry pomegranates whole.
-
-
3
Allow the pomegranates to dry at 140 degrees F overnight. They will now be suitable for decorating.
Dehydrating Seeds
-
4
Cut open your pomegranates with a knife. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and spread on the dehydration tray.
-
5
Allow the seeds to dry until they are shriveled up. This will take 10 to 12 hours at a temperature range between 130 and 140 degrees F. The amount of time will vary according to the season and the humidity of the area in which you live. Start checking your seeds at about 8 1/2 hours.
-
6
Check the temperature of your dehydrator periodically. Never allow the pomegranate seeds to reach temperatures below 130 to 140 degrees F. This will allow foods to dry quickly and will minimize the loss of vitamins A and C, which are heat-sensitive.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit pomegranate image by Ergün Ã--zsoy from Fotolia.com
