Dried fruit is a good source of nutrients and contains vitamins and minerals. Dried fruits are also rich in natural sugars. You can make dried fruit from a variety of fruits, including grapes (sultanas, bush raisins, or common raisins), apples (dried apple slices), apricots, pears, peaches, figs, dates, prunes and banana. Dried fruits can be a summer food that can be enjoyed during the winter or rainy season. Plus, you can learn how to make dried fruit quickly.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Choosing Fruits to Dry
Step 1. Choose the type of fruit that is suitable for drying
Not all fruits are suitable for drying. So, focus on fruits that are known to be good dried fruits. Several types of fruits that you can try, including:
- Fruits of vines, such as grapes or kiwi. Keep in mind that grapes can be made into different types of dried fruit. For example, the Zante bush currant is made from small, seedless black grapes. Meanwhile, sultanas are produced from large, sweet green/white grapes, such as Muscat grapes.
- Fruits from trees, such as pecans (apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines), mangoes, bananas, apples, figs, dates and pears.
Step 2. Choose ripe fruit
Make sure you choose fruit that is fully developed, perfect, and ripe. Fruit that is crushed and unripe (or overripe) usually lacks nutrients, doesn't dry well, and won't have a great taste because the sugar content in the fruit doesn't reach its peak stage of development.
Part 2 of 4: Preparing Fruits to Dry
Step 1. Wash the fruits to be used
Rinse the fruit with cold water from the tap and rub gently with your fingers to remove any visible dirt. After that, dry the fruits by wrapping them with paper towels and patting them.
For small fruit from vines, such as berries or grapes, you can place the fruit in a colander and wash it directly under running water
Step 2. Cut the large fruits into very thin pieces
Usually, fruits taken from trees or shrubs need to be sliced into small pieces with a thickness of about 0, 3-0, 6 centimeters. However, the small fruits of the vines (eg berries or grapes) usually do not need to be cut and can be dried right away.
- Grapes or berries with seeds inside need to be cut in half and seeded before drying.
- You will also need to cut or remove any stems or leaves from the fruit.
Step 3. Place the fruit on a flat baking sheet that has been lined with special cooking parchment paper
Make sure the pieces of fruit are placed separately (should not be stacked), have a balanced thickness and should not stick together.
- If you want to dry fruit using a dehydrator, place the fruit pieces on a baking sheet or dehydrator tray, not on a flat baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
- If you want to dry them outdoors (using a drying rack), place the fruit on the rack instead of on the baking sheet.
Part 3 of 4: Drying Fruits
Drying Fruit Using the Oven
Step 1. Place the baking sheet in the oven
Preheat the oven to the lowest heat level (about 50 degrees Celsius). Remember that you only need to dry the fruit, not cook it (let alone burn it). Once the oven is preheated, put the baking sheet containing the pieces of fruit in it.
Step 2. Dry the fruits for 4 to 8 hours
Drying can take 4 to 8 hours, depending on the type of fruit, the exact oven temperature, and the thickness of the slices. Watch the fruit being heated to make sure that it shrivels up, but doesn't burn.
The drying process takes several hours. Don't try to increase the heat to speed up the drying process, as increasing the heat can actually burn your fruit and make it inedible
Step 3. Remove the fruit from the oven when the water has been sufficiently removed
The fruit should feel chewy when eaten, not crunchy or runny.
Step 4. Enjoy your dried fruits right away or save them for later
Drying Outdoors (On the Drying Rack)
Step 1. Dry in hot weather
The air temperature required to dry fruit outdoors is 30 degrees Celsius (minimum). Also, keep in mind that this drying method can take several days so make sure the fruit gets consistent heat exposure.
The weather humidity level should be below 60% when you dry fruit. Also, make sure that during drying, the weather is sunny and windy
Step 2. Place the fruit on the tray
Choose a tray made of stainless steel, Teflon coated fiberglass, or plastic. Also, place the fruit on a flat tray.
- You can also use wooden trays or trays, but don't use green wood, pine, cedar, oak, and redwood trays.
- Also, don't use wire (galvanized metal wire) as a place to put fruit.
Step 3. Place the tray in a sunny place
Place the tray on top of the stack of two bricks so that the tray doesn't sit directly above the ground. Cover the tray with cheesecloth and leave the fruit in direct sunlight.
- You'll want to make sure the tray or pan isn't placed directly on moist soil. If you place it on a brick as a support, you can increase the airflow and speed up the drying process.
- Try lining a tray or baking sheet with foil or aluminum to allow more sunlight to reflect off so that the drying process is faster.
- Cover the top of the tray to protect the fruit from birds and insects.
- Move the tray to a shady place at night because the cool night air can restore moisture to the fruit.
Step 4. Take the fruits after drying for a few days
Drying with this method usually takes a few days. Watch their development several times a day until the fruits appear shriveled and spongy.
Using a Dehydrator Perangkat
Step 1. Set the device to the fruit setting (labeled with “fruit”)
If the device you are using does not have this setting, set the device temperature to 57 degrees Celsius.
Step 2. Dry the fruits for 24 to 48 hours
Place fruit far apart on the dehydrator rack and do not stack fruit pieces on top of other pieces. The drying time will vary depending on the type of fruit selected and the thickness of the cut. However, usually after a day or two, your dried fruits are ready to be enjoyed.
Check the fruit after the first 24 hours to prevent the fruit from scorching. After that, check every 6 to 8 hours
Step 3. Take the dried fruits
When ready, the fruit will look shriveled but feel chewy. Press or squeeze the fruit carefully. When pressed or squeezed, the fruit will feel quite stiff because the moisture in the fruit flesh has been taken away.
Part 4 of 4: Storing and Using Dried Fruits
Step 1. Store fruits in airtight containers or jars in a cool place
If stored in a container like this, generally dried fruit can be stored for 9 to 12 months. In addition, packaged dried fruit should be consumed immediately after opening, and may need to be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight bag to prevent spoilage. This is important to remember, especially if the dried fruit is still slightly moist and not completely dry.
Step 2. Use dried fruits for cooking or baking, or eat them straight
Some types of dried fruit can be re-moisturized by boiling or soaking them in warm water. This process can be done for fruits such as apples, apricots, peaches, plums and pears. Meanwhile, for dried mango or paw paw (a type of candied papaya in Indonesia), you can restore the moisture of the fruit by soaking it in cold water for an hour before use. Other dried fruits, such as sultanas, bush raisins, and common raisins, can be re-moisturized by soaking them in alcohol before using in classic recipes, such as dried fruit cake or pudding.
Tips
- Before drying apple or pear slices, soak them in an acidic fruit juice, such as pineapple or lime juice so that the pieces don't turn brown when dried.
- There are many dehydrator products available at hardware stores. Usually, these devices are accompanied by simple instructions for use.
- Pieces of fruit can also be woven using clean cotton thread and hung in a sunny place. Make a knot between each piece to keep the pieces separate and not stick together. After that, tie the two ends of the thread horizontally to two upright posts or other suitable object.
- Peel the skin of the fruit and punch a hole in the center of the fruit (especially apples) to form a chain ring. After that, thread a piece of string through the hole in the center of the fruit and hang the fruit outside. Let the fruit dry naturally for a week or two.
