The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [20]
Select young, fresh vegetables that are just table-ready or slightly immature. Select firm, ripe fruit. Wash, and drain on towels.
Set a large, easily read thermometer on the top shelf of the oven and preheat to the desired temperature. Recommended temperatures are 115°F for uncooked fruits, 120°F for vegetables and some cooked fruits, and 110°F for leafy herbs.
Peel, slice, dice, chop, julienne, halve, or leave whole, depending on the recommendations for the specific fruit, vegetable, or herb. Pretreat or blanch according to the recommendations for each food.
Spread the prepared foods sparsely but evenly over the dehydrator trays in thin layers. Different foods can be dried at the same time, but very moist foods should not be dried with almost-dry foods, nor should you combine foods with strong odors or flavors.
Place the trays in the oven, leaving the door ajar. Set an electric fan in front of the door. Dry according to the directions for each food, stirring or turning the food occasionally and rotating the trays front to back, side to side, and top to bottom every 2 to 3 hours.
Package dried foods in airtight bottles, jars, or plastic bags. Store in a cool, dark place.
SUN-DRYING: Six Steps
If you are blessed with clean air, low humidity, and an abundance of hot, sunny days, sun-drying is the least expensive and simplest method of preserving fruits and herbs. But drying outdoors is unpredictable unless the temperatures are over 100°F and the relative humidity is low. If the temperature is too low, the humidity is too high, or both, spoilage will occur before drying is achieved. Because sun-drying is slower and food is exposed for a longer period of time, pretreating is more important than for drying in a dehydrator.
Clean your work surface and assemble your tools. You will need knives, peelers, a cutting board, measuring cups and spoons and a bowl (for pretreating), a colander, a towel, and storage containers. You will also need a cheesecloth for protecting food from insects and birds. Drying trays can be cookie sheets or homemade wooden trays, but drying is speeded if air is allowed to circulate freely, so trays made of fiberglass or stainless steel screening work best. Do not use galvanized screen, which will contaminate food.
Select firm, ripe fruit. Wash, and drain on towels.
Peel, slice, dice, chop, julienne, halve, or leave whole, depending on the recommendations for the specific fruit or herb. Pretreat or blanch according to the recommendations for each food.
Spread the prepared foods sparsely but evenly over the dehydrator trays in thin layers. Different foods can be dried at the same time. Cover with cheesecloth.
Place the trays in a well-ventilated spot in full sun. Every few hours, turn or stir the food. Take trays inside at night. (Do not include inside time when calculating drying time.)
Before storing, place food in the oven set at 125°F for 30 minutes to kill any insect eggs that may have been deposited on them, or place in the freezer for a day or two. Then package in airtight bottles, jars, or plastic bags. Store in a cool, dark place.
MAKING FRUIT LEATHERS: Four Steps
Any fruit (or vegetable) or combination of fruits can be made into leathers. Leathers are an excellent way to use slightly overripe fruits, which have more flavor than just-ripe fruit anyway. Leathers can be made from purées of raw or cooked fruits. You can add water or juice to the blender to get a mixture thin enough to pour. Figure that 2 cups of purée will fill a standard 10- by 15-inch rimmed baking sheet.
Strain cooked or thoroughly ripened raw fruit through a food mill or liquefy in a blender until you have a smooth purée. If needed, add juice or water to make the mixture thin enough to pour.
Line a drying tray with plastic wrap (or use the fruit leather sheet that came with your dehydrator). Spread the purée ½-inch thick on the drying tray.
To dry in a dehydrator, set tray in dehydrator at 120°F for 6 to 8 hours, or