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Preparation and Pretreatment
of Fruits
Almost all fruits are suitable for drying at home, but some fruits will
require more drying time than others; the guidelines offered in this
manual will help you get started. Some fruits might not be suitable
for drying all year round, so it will be helpful to learn which fruits are
in season and experiment with those first.
Preparation
Wash fruits well and remove any bruised or overripe portions. Peel if
desired. Larger fruits may be halved. If pieces of fruit vary in size,
they may be sliced
such as grapes and cherries may be dried whole. Remove pits or
stones from fruits such as prunes, cherries, apricots, etc. Fruits that
have been artificially waxed to prevent moisture loss should always be
peeled. Peeling is optional with other fruits. Dried pear skins tend to
be grainy, and peach peels are a little fuzzy.
Most fruits can be placed directly on the drying trays as they are
prepared (pineapples, grapes strawberries, prunes, etc). However,
apples, apricots, peaches, and pears turn brown when the cut surface
is exposed to the air, due to oxidation and the continuous reaction of
enzymes. These fruits may be pretreated to slow this browning while
they are being prepared by keeping them in a holding solution until
you have sufficient fruit to pretreat.
Pretreatment
Below are listed several optional methods of pretreatment. You need
not pretreat food in order to dry it. However, pretreatment often
makes food look better, increases the shelf life and can even enhance
the nutritional value of some foods. Experiment with both treated
and untreated food in your storage to see which will best suit your
needs. Remember that proper storage is critical to the quality of the
stored product, whether treated or untreated.
Natural Pre-Dips
Use pineapple or lemon juice as a natural alternative to other
pretreatments to reduce browning. Slice fruit directly into juice.
Remove promptly (about 2 minutes) and place on trays. Fruits may
also be dipped in honey, spices, lime or orange juice, Jell-o powders
or sprinkled with coconut to give them a snappy dried flavor. Use
your imagination and make your own flavorful dip.
3
⁄
" to
1
⁄
" thick for more even drying. Smaller fruits
8
2
7.
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