5
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. Pretreatment 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 6 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 pow-
dered 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 manufacturer’s directions 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 for
suggested preparation, pretreatment, and drying times.
Determining Dryness
Refer to the Fruit Drying Guide 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 remaining
because of differences in the size of various pieces. Although fruits may appear 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, reducing the chance of mold growth,
and allows you to determine if you’ve removed enough moisture before storing.
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 look for condensation. If
condensation develops, remove the fruit and dehydrate for additional time. After conditioning, follow “Packaging and Storing Dried Food”
information on page 8.
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.
Preparation
You will need a Presto
™
Fruit Roll Sheet* to prepare fruit rolls. Apply a thin layer of vegetable oil or no-stick cooking spray to the fruit roll
sheet.
CAUTION!
If using cooking spray, be sure to spray away from the dehydrator base, as spray is flammable.
Use about 1½ cups of puréed fruit for each fruit roll sheet.* Select ripe or slightly overripe fruit and remove any bruised areas. Wash fruits
and remove peel, seeds, and stems. Cut fruit into chunks and, using a food processor or blender, purée until smooth (applesauce consistency).
To get the puréeing process started, you may need to add approximately 1 tablespoon of fruit juice or water.
* Mrs. Wages is a registered trademark of Kent Precision Foods Group, Inc. Presto is not affiliated with Kent Precision Foods Group, Inc. Fruit roll sheets are sold separately.
