Fruit Drying Guide; Drying Vegetables - Presto Dehydro Instructions Manual

Drying times are highly variable and dependant on the type and amount of food, thickness, evenness of food pieces, humidity, air temperature,
personal preference, and age of the plant at the time of harvesting.
Fruit
Apples Peel, if desired, core, and cut in rings or
slices, ⅛˝ to ¼˝ thick.
Apricots Cut in half, remove pit, and cut in quarters
or ¼˝ thick slices.
Bananas Peel and cut into ¼˝ thick slices.
Blueberries Remove stems. Dip in boiling water for
30 to 60 seconds and then plunge in ice
water to crack the skin.
Cherries Remove stems and pit. Cut in half, chop,
or leave whole.
Cranberries Remove stems. Dip in boiling water for
30 to 60 seconds and then plunge in ice
water to crack the skin.
Figs Remove stems. Small figs can be left
whole. Otherwise, cut in half. Dip whole
figs in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds
and then plunge in ice water to crack the
skin.
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.
Kiwi Peel and cut into ¼˝ to ⅜˝ thick slices.
Nectarines Cut in half and remove pit. May also
quarter or slice ¼˝ thick.
Peaches Peel if desired. Cut in half and remove pit.
May also quarter or slice ¼˝ thick.
Pears Peel, core, and slice ¼˝ thick.
Pineapple Peel, core, and slice ¼˝ thick.
Plums/Prunes Halve or quarter and remove pit.
Rhubarb Trim and discard leaves. Cut stalk into ¼˝
slices.
Strawberries Remove the leafy crown. Halve or slice
¼˝ thick.
Dry vegetables at 125°F or 52°C. 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 place them on a mesh screen on the tray. A mesh
screen will help prevent smaller foods from falling through the grates in the tray during dehydration. See information on page 4.
Selection and Preparation
Wash vegetables to remove dirt and debris. Trim vegetables to remove fibrous or woody portions or bruised and decayed areas, peel,
and slice using the preparation information found on the Vegetable Drying Guide on page 8. Slice or cut vegetables into pieces that are
uniform in size. See guide for pretreatment information on specific vegetables.
Pretreatment
The process of blanching involves subjecting vegetables to a high enough temperature to deactivate the enzymes. Blanching is neces-
sary to stop the naturally occurring enzymes from causing loss of color and flavor during drying and storage. Blanching also relaxes

Fruit Drying Guide

Dry fruit at 135°F or 57°C.
Preparation

Drying Vegetables

Pretreatment
Ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid
mixture, or lemon juice.
See apples.
See apples.
None
None
None
None
None
None
See apples.
See apples.
See apples.
None
None
None
None
7
Average Drying Time
4–9 hours
8–16 hours
7–12 hours
9–17 hours
15–23 hours
10–18 hours
8–15 hours
13–21 hours
4–6 hours
6–10 hours (slices)
36–48 hours (halves or quarters)
6–10 hours (slices)
36–48 hours (halves or quarters)
7–13 hours
7–11 hours
8–15 hours
6–9 hours
6–12 hours