7
Fruit Drying Guide
Drying times are highly variable and dependent on the type and amount of food, thickness, evenness of food pieces, humidity, air temperature, personal preference,
and the age of the plant at the time of harvesting.
Fruit Preparation Pretreatment
Average
Drying Time
Apples Peel if desired, core, and cut in rings or
slices ⅛˝ to ¼˝ thick.
Ascorbic acid, ascorbic
acid mixture, or lemon
juice.
3–8 hours
Apricots Cut in half, remove pit, and cut in quarters
or ¼˝ thick slices.
See apples. 7–15 hours
Bananas Peel and cut into ¼˝ thick slices. See apples. 5–7 hours
Blueberries Remove stems. Dip in boiling water for
30 to 60 seconds and then plunge in ice
water to crack the skin.
None 8–16 hours
Cherries Remove stems and pit. Cut in half, chop, or
leave whole.
None 14–22 hours
Cranberries Remove stems. Dip in boiling water for
30 to 60 seconds and then plunge in ice
water to crack the skin.
None 9–17 hours
Figs Remove stems. Small gs can be left
whole. Otherwise, cut in half. Dip whole gs
in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds and
then plunge in ice water to crack the skin.
None 7–14 hours
Grapes Leave whole or cut in half. Dip whole
grapes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds
and then plunge in ice water to crack the
skin.
None 12–20 hours
Kiwi Peel and cut into ¼˝ to ⅜˝ thick slices. None 3–5 hours
Nectarines Cut in half and remove pit. May also quarter
or slice ¼˝ thick.
See apples. 5–9 hours (slices)
36–48 hours (halves
or
quarters)
Peaches Peel if desired. Cut in half and remove pit.
May also quarter or slice ¼˝ thick.
See apples. 5–9 hours (slices)
36–48 hours (halves
or
quarters)
Pears Peel, core, and slice ¼˝ thick. See apples. 6–12 hours
Pineapple Peel, core, and slice ¼˝ thick. None 7–11 hours
Plums/Prunes Halve or quarter and remove pit. None 7–14 hours
Rhubarb Trim and discard leaves. Cut stalk into
¼˝ slices.
None 5–8 hours
Strawberries Remove the leafy crown. Halve or slice
¼˝ thick.
None 5–11 hours
Drying Vegetables
Vegetables dry much faster than fruits. At the end of the drying period, moisture loss is rapid. As a result, vegetables need to be
checked often towards the end of the drying time to prevent overdrying. Food turns brown when it is overdried.
When drying smaller vegetables, such as peas or carrots, it is recommended that you use a mesh screen.* A mesh screen will help
prevent smaller foods from falling through the grates in the tray during dehydration.
Selection and Preparation
Wash vegetables to remove dirt and debris. Trim vegetables to remove brous or woody portions or bruised and decayed areas, peel,
and slice using the preparation information found on the Vegetable Drying Guide on pages 8 and 9. Slice or cut vegetables into pieces
that are uniform in size. See guide for pretreatment information on specic vegetables.
*Nonstick mesh screens are sold separately (see page 14).
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