Determining Dryness
Refer to the Fruit Drying Guide on page 6 and begin checking the fruit at the
beginning of the average drying time range. Remove a few pieces of fruit from each
dehydrator tray and allow to cool to room temperature. Fruits are acceptably dry when
they are soft and pliable, but not sticky. Fruit folded in half should not stick together.
Apple and banana slices can be dried until crisp, if desired. If fruits seem to have a lot
of moisture remaining, recheck every 1 to 2 hours. If fruits appear to be almost done,
check again in 30 minutes. Always check fruits from each tray.
Conditioning
After drying, allow fruit to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour before packaging. Dried fruits
may have uneven amounts of moisture remaining because of differences in the size of
various pieces. Although fruit appears to be dry, there may still be moisture remaining
in some of the individual pieces. Conditioning is a procedure that can be used to more
evenly distribute moisture, which will reduce the chances of mold growth. It allows you
to determine if you've removed enough moisture before you put it into storage. To
condition, place the pieces of fruit loosely in a clean plastic or glass container and seal
and let stand for 1 week. This will allow drier pieces of fruit to absorb excess moisture
that may be present in other pieces. Daily shake the jar to separate the pieces and
observe for condemnation. If condensation develops, remove the fruit and dehydrator
for additional time. After conditioning, follow "Packaging and Storage" information on
page 4.
Uses
Dried fruits make great snacks. They can also be added to trail mixes, cereals,
muffins,breads, and other baked products. Dried fruit can be used as is or softened
prior to use. To soften dried fruit, submerge in boiling water and soak for 5 minutes or
place fruit in a steaming.
Fruit Rolls(Leather)
Fruit rolls(or fruit leather) are made by drying a thin layer of pureed fruit on a flat
surface. Once dried, the fruit layer is pulled from the surface and rolled. The term
leather derives from the leather-like texture of the pureed fruit once it is dried.
Almost any fruit or combination of fruit can be pureed and dried for fruit leather. The
quality of the fruit leather depends on whether the fruit has a low or high amount of the
naturally occurring starch called pectin. Fruits that have a high amount of pectin will
make leathers that bond together in a solid sheet and easily peel, while fruits that
have little pectin will flake and crack rather than peel. When making leather with fruits
low in pectin, add another fruit that is high in pectin to improve the texture of the
leather. Fruits low in pectin include cherries, citrus fruits, raspberries, and strawberries.
When using a low pectin fruit with a high with a high pectin fruit, use equal parts of
each to produce the best results.
Preparation
Use Fruit Roll Sheet to prepare fruit rolls. Apply a thin layer of vegetable oil or no-stick
cooking spray to the fruit roll sheet.
Caution: If using cooking spray, be sure to spray away from the dehydrator base.
Use about
1½ cups of pureed fruit roll sheet.
Select ripe or slightly overripe fruit and remove any bruised areas. Wash fruit sand
remove peel, seeds, and stems. Cut fruit into chunks and using a food processor or