Drying
is the oldest method of preserving food. Ancient peoples didn’t
have refrigerators, freezers, tin cans, or jars. They simply used the
sun to dry berries and meat for jerky.
Today,
drying still has advantages. If you come back from a farmer’s
market with a bushel of apples or you have a tree in your backyard
loaded with fruit, you can shrink down most of that inventory into a
few containers.
As
the food dries, its natural sugars become concentrated and the
flavors intensify. You don’t have to add any sugar or fat. You
can dehydrate all kinds of produce such as bananas, cherries,
tomatoes, apples, plums, and apricots.
In
order to safely dehydrate food, you need dry, controlled heat to
force moisture from the food, and air circulation to carry the
moisture away. When food is dehydrated, 80 to 95 percent of the
moisture is removed, so bacteria and other spoilage microorganisms
can’t grow. But drying doesn’t kill the microorganisms
already present. The food can still spoil if not enough moisture is
removed.
An
electric dehydrator provides the most reliable and consistent results
for drying foods because of the controlled temperature and airflow.
You can also dry food outdoors, but you need bright, hot sunshine;
low humidity; and low air pollution.
The
Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving advises daytime
temperatures of at least 90 degrees. The hotter the weather, the
faster, and more safely, your foods will dry. Also, you need a screen
or netting to protect the food from insects.
If
you have a dehydrator, follow your manufacturer’s instructions
for best results. It’s a simple, straightforward process: Wash,
peel, and pit the produce; cut or slice in uniform pieces. Dip fruits
such as apples, bananas, and peaches in pineapple or lemon juice to
keep them from oxidizing and turning brown. Then place them on the
dehydrator screen. Cover with the lid and turn the dehydrator on. Dry
until crisp and moisture is removed.
Dehydrated apple chips.
Dried Apple Chips
My
neighbor Sharon Hansen dries apples for Tagge’s fruit stands in
Salt Lake City. Last year she gave me some for the holidays. I asked
her to show me how to make these delicious apple chips, and she did.
I now have a new skill. When I give them away for gifts for the
holidays, my friends always ask for more. Here is what you will
need to make apple chips:
A dehydrator,
apple peeler (it peels, cores, and slices all in one process),
1 large can pineapple juice,
waxed paper or plastic wrap,
a knife,
and lots of apples.
The
dehydrator that I used has 10 trays.
The
first step is to wash the apples and set up the apple peeler. Spread
waxed paper or plastic wrap on the counter and pour the pineapple
juice into a bowl. Set up your work station so you can peel the
apples, dip them in pineapple juice, and place them right on the
dehydrator trays.
Place
the stem end of an apple into the three prongs of the peeler arm.
Turn until the apple is peeled, sliced, and cored. Set the apple on
the tray, and with the paring knife cut a slit in the apple all the
way to the bottom.
Apple peelers look scary, but they are easy to use.
Now
place the apple slices into the pineapple juice, making sure all
slices are covered, as this will keep them from darkening. Put the
individual slices onto the dehydrator tray. As you fill a tray, place
it on the dehydrator.
Once
all the trays are filled and in place, turn the dehydrator on. My
dehydrator takes 6 or 7 hours to dry apples. Of course, I live in an
area without much humidity! At 3 hours, I open the dehydrator and
turn the apples over tray by tray. This keeps them from sticking to
the trays once dried. This a great for a quick snack, or for a great
treat on breakfast cereal.
Have fun and enjoy.
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A former Relief Society president, Dian is currently serving as a visiting
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