Fruit Drying Guide - Presto Dehydro Instructions Manual

Electric food dehydrator with adjustable temperature control

Instructions manual (14 pages)

Instructions manual (11 pages)

Instructions manual (13 pages)

Table of Contents

Drying times are highly variable depending on the type and amount of food, thickness, evenness of food pieces, humidity, air tempera-

ture, personal preference, and even the 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 sec-

onds 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 quar-

ter 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.

Preparation

Use 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.

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.

If desired, fruit can be pretreated to preserve its natural color. Add 1½ teaspoons of lemon juice to each 1½ cups puréed fruit. See the

Fruit Drying Guide above to determine which fruits will benefit from pretreatment.

The natural sweetness of fruit is intensified with drying. However, if your preference is for a sweeter fruit roll, you can add honey, ma-

ple syrup, corn syrup, or sugar to the puréed fruit, if desired. Try different amounts of sweeteners, starting with 1 tablespoon for each

1½ cups of fruit purée, to find your preference. Fruit with sweeteners added will take longer to dry than fruit that is not sweetened.

Canned fruit can also be used to easily make fruit leather. Drain juice from fruit, saving juice for later use. Place fruit in food processor

or blender and purée until smooth. Applesauce can be used directly from the container.

For frozen fruit, thaw and purée until smooth.

Pour puréed fruit on lightly oiled fruit roll sheet and spread with a spatula to form a uniform layer about ¼ inch thick. Place fruit roll

sheet on dehydrator tray, turn temperature control to 135°F, and begin drying. Average drying time for all fruit rolls is 4 to 7 hours.