Drying fruits

[Randi]

I have dried apple slices for quite some time now, I use them on my cereal along with nuts - preferably pecans, when I can get them. I'm thinking of trying strawberries and possibly rashberries. You all probably know Kelloggs K with dried fruit in, it is more expensive than the plain one, of course, so why not dry the fruit yourself. It's healthy and tasty. :)

I have been cutting the apples in slices and just left them on a big plate, turning them now and again so they don't stick, but I know you can do it in an oven, too.

Have any of you tried that? I found this link of how to do it:
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/homemade-dried-fruit.htm

[kittycats_delight]

I also do this but we picked up a fruit dehydrator at Carrefour for only €24,90. It looks like this:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y2l%2BSgvsL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

It is the Carrefour HOME brand so this is why it cost less. I can't complain about the quality of the machine though. My grill, toaster, microwave, juicer, food processor, blender, hair dryer, fans, etc are all either Carrefour HOME or Bluesky (another carrefour mark) and all have lasted well and work wonderfully.

[Randi]

That looks fancy. :) How long does it take to dry fruits in it? Which kinds do you dry?

We don't have a Carrefour in Denmark, but I've seen them in Spain. I don't travel much anymore, though. Of course, I could buy one online, probably.

[Cataholic]

Don't the apples get moldy, Randi?

I don't love dried fruit, though it could bs helpful to figure out how to dry sweet potatoe. Jasper, our dog, LOVES the ones we buy in the store but they are so expensive!

[Randi]

No, they don't go moldy, just cut them fairly thin - no thicker than 2mm, and have an open window. I cut the apple into four pieces, cut the pips out and slice up each piece.

Make sure they're totally dry before you put them into a contaner. I use old honey glasses. Don't let them touch each other, or they will stick together. I suppose you could do it with sweet potatoes too. :)

Oh yeah, store bought dry fruits are so expensive! :eek:

[kittycats_delight]

That looks fancy. :) How long does it take to dry fruits in it? Which kinds do you dry?

We don't have a Carrefour in Denmark, but I've seen them in Spain. I don't travel much anymore, though. Of course, I could buy one online, probably.

It really varies from fruit to fruit and also the thickness of the cut and the amount of fruit to be dried. It can vary from 2 hours up to 16 hours. We have dried bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, peaches, plums, apricots, pineapple, and I do apples for the goats & horses at the petting zoo section at the small family run zoo near our house.

You can absolutely order it online and I am sure they can be found in any of the hypermarkets you have in Denmark. They carry them here at Carrefour, Auchan, Emisfero, etc as well as the DIY (do it yourself) places & stores that carry domestic appliances.

[kaycountrygal]

Hello, I have dried fruits in different ways, mainly apples. A long time ago I used my own apples, peeled them & cut them as thin as I could & laid them onto a
(1)screen wire thingy outside on a picnic table. I did this for most of a summer but then the ants found them and that was it for outside.

2) oven. I turn my kitchen stove oven on as low as it will go & put sliced apples in it on cookie sheets. I peel the apples, slice them thin, spray the cooking sheet with Pam or something like it, into the oven on cookie sheet, until apples are sort of leathery

(3) food dehydrator. I have one that has 8 round thingys on which to place the fruit. I do not use parchment paper or anything like that.

(4) my car. LOL That's right. When I worked, one summer I put some sliced apples on cookie sheets and then put them beneath rear window part of car and they did great. My car was parked outside in sun, locked and windows up so it got hot in car and apples got dehydrated really good. I suppose people wondered what the heck I was doing LOL.

Out of all the above, I liked the ones dried outside in the sun the best... but the darn ants got to be too much. Last year I used the food dehydrator and my own apples. After apples have dried, I put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them... will last for years in my experience.

[Laura's Babies]

I have a dehydrator like kittycats_delight posted. I go on Mondays and sometimes I can find a big bag of over ripe banana's for 99 cents! I get them done in no time!! I have dehydrated just about everything in mine. My daughter makes jerky in hers for their camping trips.