How to dry fruit in a dryer

Drying fruit is one of the most common options for preparing food for the winter. In fact, only moisture is removed from the products, but most of the vitamins and nutrients remain. Another advantage is that in this state it is more convenient to store the fruits and the harvesting process is not at all labor-intensive.

Fruits are dried in the fresh air, in the oven, but special electric dryers are most convenient for this. They allow fruit to dry evenly, avoiding rotting or insect infestation.

Preparing fruit for drying

You can put a wide variety of fruits in an electric dryer: apples, pears, apricots, plums; housewives also dry mushrooms, berries and herbs in it. The duration of the process depends on the amount of moisture in the product, the thickness of the pieces and the humidity of the room in which the dryer is installed. Fruits are prepared as follows:

1. To begin with, we select whole fruits without signs of rotting or other damage. It is allowed to use fruits with damaged areas, having previously removed such areas.
2. Wash everything thoroughly, if necessary, remove the seeds, peel and cut into pieces. Drying apples and pears is allowed both with and without skin, depending on taste preferences.

How to properly place fruit in the dryer

Before placing the slices in the dryer, it is advisable to cover each tier with a thin cloth, for example gauze, which will prevent the slices from falling through. Place the fruits in one layer at a minimum distance from each other.

ATTENTION!

Lemon juice or an aqueous solution of citric acid, which is sprinkled on the slices before drying, will help preserve the natural color.

It is possible to dry different products at the same time, but it must be taken into account that their cooking time will not be the same due to the different amount of liquid content. The transparent sections of the electric dryer make it easy to determine the degree of readiness.

ATTENTION!

Pieces located in the lower tier dry faster, since warm air currents come from below.

How to properly dry different types of fruits in a dryer

Let's look at a few simple drying recipes.

• Apples.

We cut the fruits into slices or plates 5 mm thick, after washing and removing the seeds. Sprinkle with lemon juice or an aqueous solution of citric acid. Place on pallets, leaving space between pieces. Dry for about 10 hours at 60 °C.

• Pears.

Unripe fruits are used for drying. Place the clean cut pieces in an electric dryer. Set the temperature to 55–60 °C. Cooking time depends on the variety and is approximately 10–18 hours.

• Apricot (dried apricots).

Cut fully ripe fruits into two halves and remove the pit. We place them on drying trays with the skins inside out. Dry the apricots for at least 12 hours at a temperature of 55 °C.

Electric dryers allow you to preserve the maximum beneficial properties of fruits, so they are considered the most suitable for drying.