If you have a dehydrator in the garage sale pile or perhaps in the back of a cabinet, it's time to pull it out!
Stop throwing out your fruit and make a yummy snack for the fam! I try to always use what I have on hand and also try never to waste food but it happens. Sometimes it isn't enough fruit or veggies and other times I have too much. So, for our family dehydrating has helped with school or outing snacks, trail mixes, helped with the sweet tooth and saves a little cash too.
I have never owned a dehydrator before but have always wanted to and have even attempted using the oven to dehydrate some of my goodies. Personally I didn't like it and it made the whole kitchen warm after several hours of being on, even at a low temperature.
I was browsing at a local Goodwill and spied with my little eye, a Ronco food dehydrator, total SCORE!. Hmmm..
I hurried my little cart down the aisle where I saw the little gem, looked around side to side as if someone was going to intercept my find. I get to the dehydrator, it still had the paperwork and was neatly bundled up. I tested it out, it got warm and seemed to work. Totally worth spending $12.00! I am in second hand store heaven!
It was perfect find on a perfect day! I had lots of fruit to test the unit out on and I have 4 perfectly willing testers at home.
Here goes:
Apples, bananas, kiwi, papaya, pineapple.
I washed and dried and peeled all the goods before slicing them in 1/4 to 1/8 inch pieces.
Some people use ascorbic acid, pectin, apple juice etc., to stop the fruit from browning as it naturally does once exposed to air (like apples, bananas). I personally do not use these ingredients because I do not mind if the fruit turns a little brown. If I would add anything to help prevent the browning, I would use a lemon bath but that's about it.
When laying the fruit out it's OK for them to touch but not overlap. The fruit will shrink as it dried but will remain moist if they overlap. With this batch, I prepped the trays and fruit in the evening and rotated the trays once before bed and once the following morning.
*Banana chips will not have the same crisp as store bought chips will, as they are not treated or dehydrated at a high temperature.
Once fruit is done to preferred likeness, let trays coll for a minute or two then transfer fruit to an airtight container. I prefer mason jars but you can certainly use any airtight container you'd like.
Most fruit will have a consistency that is somewhat leathery with a slight crisp. The taste is amazing, no chemicals, no preservatives, no added sugar and dried fruit is great as is or is a great addition to trail mix.
Stop throwing out your fruit and make a yummy snack for the fam! I try to always use what I have on hand and also try never to waste food but it happens. Sometimes it isn't enough fruit or veggies and other times I have too much. So, for our family dehydrating has helped with school or outing snacks, trail mixes, helped with the sweet tooth and saves a little cash too.
I have never owned a dehydrator before but have always wanted to and have even attempted using the oven to dehydrate some of my goodies. Personally I didn't like it and it made the whole kitchen warm after several hours of being on, even at a low temperature.
I was browsing at a local Goodwill and spied with my little eye, a Ronco food dehydrator, total SCORE!. Hmmm..
I hurried my little cart down the aisle where I saw the little gem, looked around side to side as if someone was going to intercept my find. I get to the dehydrator, it still had the paperwork and was neatly bundled up. I tested it out, it got warm and seemed to work. Totally worth spending $12.00! I am in second hand store heaven!
It was perfect find on a perfect day! I had lots of fruit to test the unit out on and I have 4 perfectly willing testers at home.
Here goes:
Apples, bananas, kiwi, papaya, pineapple.
I washed and dried and peeled all the goods before slicing them in 1/4 to 1/8 inch pieces.
When laying the fruit out it's OK for them to touch but not overlap. The fruit will shrink as it dried but will remain moist if they overlap. With this batch, I prepped the trays and fruit in the evening and rotated the trays once before bed and once the following morning.
*Banana chips will not have the same crisp as store bought chips will, as they are not treated or dehydrated at a high temperature.
Once fruit is done to preferred likeness, let trays coll for a minute or two then transfer fruit to an airtight container. I prefer mason jars but you can certainly use any airtight container you'd like.
Most fruit will have a consistency that is somewhat leathery with a slight crisp. The taste is amazing, no chemicals, no preservatives, no added sugar and dried fruit is great as is or is a great addition to trail mix.
Enjoy!
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