Presto Dehydro Instructions Manual page 4

Slice fruit uniformly and in pieces about ¼ inch thick. Fruits that are left whole, such as blueberries, cranberries, and grapes, should
be dipped in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds and then plunged in ice water to crack the skin. This procedure will reduce the drying
time.
Pretreatment
Many fruits will darken quickly once they are peeled and/or cut and will continue to darken even after the fruit is dried. This is due to
the exposure of the natural enzymes in some fruits to air. There are several pretreatment options to prevent this discoloration. Pretreat-
ment is not necessary but is recommended to prevent discoloration. Some people may detect a slight flavor change with pretreated
fruit. See the Fruit Drying Guide on page 5 to determine which fruits will benefit from pretreatment. You may want to try the different
options and see which you prefer:
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) – Ascorbic acid, available in tablet or powdered form, is available at drugstores. Mix 2½ tablespoons
of powdered ascorbic acid in 1 quart cold water. Vitamin C tablets (six 500 mg tablets equal 1 teaspoon ascorbic acid) should be
crushed before mixing with water. Place cut fruit, such as bananas, peaches, apples, or pears, in mixture and soak for 10 minutes.
Remove fruit and drain well before placing on drying trays.
Ascorbic acid mixtures – These commercially available products, such as Mrs. Wages Fresh Fruit Preserver*, are a combination
of ascorbic acid and sugar and are commonly used for fresh fruits and for canning and freezing. Follow the manufacturers' direc-
tions for use of these mixtures.
lemon juice – Mix equal parts lemon juice and cold water. Place cut fruit in solution and soak for 10 minutes. Remove fruit and
drain well before placing on drying trays.
Place pieces of fruit on dehydrator trays in a single layer, close together but not touching or overlapping. Refer to the Fruit Drying
Guide on page 5 for suggested preparation, pretreatment, and drying times. Dry fruit at 135°F.
Determining Dryness
Refer to the Fruit Drying Guide on page 5 and begin checking the fruit at the beginning of the average drying time range. Remove
a few pieces of fruit from each dehydrator tray and allow to cool to room temperature. Fruits are acceptably dry when they are soft
and pliable, but not sticky. Fruit folded in half should not stick together. Apple and banana slices can be dried until crisp, if desired.
If fruits seem to have a lot of moisture remaining, recheck every 1 to 2 hours. If fruits appear to be almost done, check again in 30
minutes. Always check fruits from each tray.
Conditioning
After drying, allow fruit to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour before packaging. Dried fruits may have uneven amounts of moisture remain-
ing because of differences in the size of various pieces. Although fruit appears to be dry, there may still be moisture remaining in
some of the individual pieces. Conditioning is a procedure that can be used to more evenly distribute moisture, which will reduce the
chances of mold growth. It allows you to determine if you've removed enough moisture before you put it into storage. To condition,
place the pieces of fruit loosely in a clean plastic or glass container and seal and let stand for 1 week. This will allow drier pieces of
fruit to absorb excess moisture that may be present in other pieces. Daily shake the jar to separate the pieces and observe for condensa-
tion. If condensation develops, remove the fruit and dehydrate for additional time. After conditioning, follow "Packaging and Storage"
information above.
Uses
Dried fruits make great snacks. They can also be added to trail mixes, cereals, muffins, breads, and other baked products. Dried fruit
can be used as is or softened prior to use. To soften dried fruit, submerge in boiling water and soak for 5 minutes or place fruit in a
steaming basket over a pot of boiling water and steam for 5 minutes or until fruit is plumped.
Fruit Rolls (leather)
Fruit rolls (or fruit leather) are made by drying a thin layer of puréed fruit on a flat surface. Once dried, the fruit layer is pulled from
the surface and rolled. The term leather derives from the leather-like texture of the puréed fruit once it is dried.
Almost any fruit or combination of fruit can be puréed and dried for fruit leather. The quality of the fruit leather depends on whether
the fruit has a low or high amount of the naturally occurring starch called pectin. Fruits that have a high amount of pectin will make
leathers that bond together in a solid sheet and easily peel, while fruits that have little pectin will flake and crack rather than peel.
When making leather with fruits low in pectin, add another fruit that is high in pectin to improve the texture of the leather. Fruits
naturally high in pectin are apples, apricots, blueberries, cranberries, figs, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapples, and plums. Fruits low
in pectin include cherries, citrus fruits, raspberries, and strawberries. When using a low pectin fruit with a high pectin fruit, use equal
parts of each to produce the best results.
*Mrs. Wages is a registered trademark of Precision Foods, Inc.
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