Dehydrating fruit is a rewarding process, and dried fruit has many uses — from snacks to sauces, dessert toppings to fillings for baked goods. After your fruit is dried, labeled, and stored (check out Chapter 16), you’ll have delicious and healthy fruits at your fingertips all year round.

Patience is the key to successful drying. Preparation may take you less than an hour, but that’s just the beginning. The time required for drying fruit may take anywhere from a few hours to many days until you have the finished product. An electric dehydrator provides you with the shortest drying time and produces the best dried fruit of the three methods discussed in Chapter 16.

Putting Your Best Fruit Forward

Starting with unblemished, ripe fruit is important for creating a dried fruit that’s worthy of high marks and rave reviews.

Most fruit is suited for this process, with a few exceptions. Fruits not recommended for drying include avocados, citrus fruits (except for the peel), crab apples, guavas, melons, olives, pomegranates, and quinces.

Understanding what impacts the dehydrating process

Drying food is a simple concept, but there are rules to follow for the tastiest result. Ideally, you should take the shortest time possible to turn fresh food into dried food. Knowing what variables can impact your drying time and how to control what you can helps ensure you have the best quality food on your pantry shelf.

Drying time is determined by the following:

The moisture in your fruit. For example, dehydrating juicy grapes takes nearly twice as long as crisp, firm apple slices due to the difference in how juicy each fruit is.
The size of your fruit pieces. Larger pieces of fruit take longer to dry than smaller pieces of the same fruit. So the smaller you cut your peaches or the thinner you slice your bananas, the less time you need to produce a safely preserved dried product.
The moisture in the air. This is the case whether you’re using a dehydrator or an oven.
The pretreating method you choose. Many of the best fruits for this method oxidize and brown easily when their flesh is exposed to air. The following section introduces the options that are available to you to prevent any color change in your fruit.

Making time for pretreating

Pretreating makes your fruit look good by preventing oxidation and discoloration, the darkening of the fruit flesh after it’s exposed to air. The pretreating process slows down the enzyme activity in the fruit that causes it to ripen.

Pretreating only slows down the ripening process in fruit; it doesn’t stop it.

Using a pretreating method before drying your fruit isn’t as important as when you’re canning the fruit. In fact, it’s not necessary at all, but it does assist you with the drying process by shortening the drying time.

The following sections explain your pretreating choices.

At one time, sulfuring fruit was popular for preserving fruit color and vitamins in dried fruit. Sulfur is unsafe for any drying method other than sun-drying because the sulfur produces dangerous sulfur dioxide fumes when it’s heated, which occurs when you dry fruit in an oven or a dehydrator. People with asthma or other allergies should avoid this product.

Water blanching

Water blanching is the best pretreating method for maintaining a bright fruit color. To water blanch, follow these steps:

Immerse the fruit in boiling water for a short period of time.
Immediately plunge the fruit into ice water to stop the cooking process that was started by the boiling water.
Drain the fruit well.

Steam blanching

Steam blanching is the most common method used for fruit. The steam quickly heats the fruit, shortens the drying and rehydrating times, sets the color and flavor, and slows down the enzyme activity, in some cases killing microorganisms (refer to Chapter 3). In fact, fruit retains more of its water-soluble vitamins and minerals from steam blanching than water blanching.

To steam blanch, follow these steps:

Hang a colander on the inside edge of a pot of boiling water, making sure the colander doesn’t touch the water.
Place your fruit in the colander and heat it as directed in your recipe.
Cool your fruit quickly in a bowl of ice water.
Drain the fruit well.

Dipping in a solution

With this method, you immerse your fruit into a liquid or a solution to control darkening. Dipping the fruit helps it retain vitamins A and C, which are lost during the oxidation process. You can use any of the following options:

Lemon or lime juice. Fresh citrus juice is the most natural of the dipping solutions. Mix 1 cup of juice with 1 quart of water. Soak the fruit for no longer than 10 minutes; drain thoroughly before drying.
Ascorbic acid. This white, powdery substance is available in drugstores. Its common name is vitamin C. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of powder in 1 quart of water. Don’t soak your fruit longer than 1 hour; drain it well before drying.
Commercial antioxidants. These products are found in supermarkets or where canning supplies are sold. Some common brand names are Fruit-Fresh and Ever-Fresh. Follow the directions on the product package for making your solution and determining the soaking time.

Navigating Your Fruit-Drying Experience

Fruit contains a lot of water, and you may be surprised at just how much volume you lose when you dry it. So don’t be put off by the amount of fruit you start with, wondering where you’re going to store it all. In Maine, wild blueberries are readily available. I (Amy) dehydrate some of mine every year. It is always surprising to see how much smaller a four-pound box of fresh berries is when dehydrated. The same four pounds of fresh blueberries, for example, makes 1¼ cups of dried blueberries. And the best news? All the taste and nutrition are still there. The only thing missing is the water.

Drying fruit step by step

This simple procedure is detailed in Chapter 16 for the three drying methods. Here’s a summary for drying fruit in a dehydrator or an oven:

Preheat your oven or dehydrator and prepare your trays.

If you’re using an electric dehydrator, verify the correct drying temperature for your fruit in the owner’s manual. If it differs from the guidelines given in your recipe or this section, use the temperature in the manual.
Prepare your fruit as directed in your recipe.
Place your fruit on your prepared trays or racks.
Place the filled trays in your dehydrator or oven and begin the drying process.
Check the fruit and rotate the trays periodically to ensure even drying of the entire batch.
At the end of the drying time, check your fruit for the proper degree of doneness as stated in your recipe (see the following section for more information).
Package your fruit in temporary containers, like plastic bags, and allow it to condition or mellow.

This process distributes any moisture left in the fruit pieces to other, drier pieces and reduces the chance of spoiled fruit. It may take up to one week.
Package and label your product for storage.

Don’t add fresh fruit to partially dried trays of fruit. The fresh fruit increases the humidity in the drying chamber and adds moisture back to your drying fruit. This adjustment in the humidity level affects drying and increases the drying time for both fruits.

Evaluating dryness

Knowing when your fruit is properly dehydrated is important because fruit that contains too much moisture will decay despite being stored correctly. Normally, touching and tasting a cooled piece of fruit gives you the answer, but when you’re in doubt (or you’re a planner who positively, absolutely needs to know exactly when the moisture in your fruit is reduced enough), follow these basic steps:

Prepare your fruit and weigh the portion you’ll be dehydrating.
Look up the amount of moisture (water content) in your fruit.

You can find this information with each recipe in this chapter.
Determine the total water weight of your fruit.

Multiply the weight of your prepared fruit before drying by the water content percentage. For example, if you have 20 pounds of prepared peaches with a water content of 89 percent, then

20 pounds of peaches × 0.89 water content = 17.8 pounds of water
Calculate the amount of water (by weight) that needs to be removed from the fruit during the drying process.

Multiply your total water weight (your answer from Step 3) by 0.8 (the minimum amount of water you want to remove from your fruit during the drying process). Using the peaches example,

A total water weight of 17.8 × 0.8 = 14.24 pounds of water to remove
Determine how much the fruit should weigh after drying.

Subtract the amount of the water you want removed (your answer from Step 4) from the total weight of the fruit you prepared for drying (your answer from Step 1). Using the peaches example,

20 pounds of prepared fruit – 14.24 pounds of water to remove = 5.76 pounds of dried fruit as your goal
Weigh your fruit when you think it’s done.

If your fruit weighs the amount you calculated in Step 5 or less, then your dehydrating process is successful. If your fruit weighs more than this amount, then you should return it for more drying.

Properly dried fruit has 80 to 95 percent of its moisture removed, which means leathery, not crispy, results.

Rehydrating and Enjoying the Labors of Your Drying

Most dried fruit is used just as it’s stored after the dehydrating process. It’s great added to hot or cold cereal or baking batters. It’s perfect if you’re always on the go: It travels well and can be eaten right out of the container. For a fun twist to your teas, add a few dried berries to your teapot before steeping. The berries will lightly infuse the pot of tea with sweetness.

Before you dig in, be sure to look over your dried goods and the container to make sure the food stored well. See Chapter 18 for warning signs that your dried food isn’t safe to eat.

If you prefer your dried fruit a bit chewier, soften or rehydrate it. Rehydrating is the process of adding moisture back to the fruit. Use rehydrated fruit right away because it’s not dry enough to go back on the shelf without spoiling.

You can use the following rehydrating options:

Boiling water. Place the desired amount of fruit in a bowl. Cover the fruit with boiling water, allowing it to stand for 5 to 10 minutes to plump, or add moisture, to your fruit. Use this method when adding fruit to jams, chutney, or baked goods. You can substitute fruit juice or wine for water.
Steaming. Place your fruit in a steamer or a colander over a pot of boiling water (refer to the section, “Steam blanching,” earlier in this chapter). Steam your fruit for 3 to 5 minutes or until the fruit plumps.
Sprinkling. Put your fruit in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the fruit with water or fruit juice. Allow it to soak in the moisture. Repeat the process until the fruit reaches the level of moistness you desire.

When chopping dried fruit, spraying your knife with no-stick cooking spray keeps the fruit from sticking to your knife.

Dried Apples

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 6 TO 8 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 84 PERCENT | YIELD: 1½ CUPS

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds firm apples

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash, peel, and core your apples. Slice the apples into ¼- to ½-inch-thick rings (see Figure 17-1). Dip the apple slices in your choice of dipping solution (refer to the section, “Making time for pretreating,” earlier in this chapter, for your options and detailed instructions).

2 Arrange the apple slices on your trays, and dry in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 6 to 8 hours at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 2 to 3 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The apples should be soft, pliable, and leathery.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 147 (From fat 7); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 38g (Dietary fiber 5g); Protein 0g.

TIP: Apples with tart flavors and a firm texture dry best. Some good choices are Pippin, Granny Smith, Jonathan, and Rome Beauty.

Schematic illustration of cutting apple rings. — FIGURE 17-1: Cutting apple rings.

Dried Apricots

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 18 TO 20 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 85 PERCENT | YIELD: 2 CUPS

INGREDIENTS

6 pounds fresh apricots

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash the apricots and then cut them in half, discarding the pits. Dip the apricot halves in your choice of dipping solution (refer to the section, “Making time for pretreating,” earlier in this chapter, for your options and detailed instructions).

2 Arrange the apricot halves on your trays, skin side down, cut side up. Dry them in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 18 to 20 hours at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 2 to 3 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The apricots should be pliable and leathery with no moisture pockets.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 152 (From fat 11); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 3mg; Carbohydrates 35g (Dietary fiber 8g); Protein 4g.

Dried Bananas

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 10 TO 12 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 85 PERCENT | YIELD: ¾ TO 1 CUP

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds fresh bananas

DIRECTIONS

1 Peel and slice the bananas to ¼-inch thickness. Dip the banana slices in your choice of dipping solution (refer to the section, “Making time for pretreating,” earlier in this chapter, for your options and detailed instructions).

2 Arrange the slices on your trays and dry in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 10 to 12 hours at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 2 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The bananas should be pliable and crisp, almost brittle.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 134 (From fat 6); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 34g (Dietary fiber 4g); Protein 2g.

TIP: Use ripe, yellow-skinned fruit with a few brown speckles.

Dried Blueberries

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 24 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 83 PERCENT | YIELD: 1¼ CUPS DRIED BLUEBERRIES

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1 Drop the blueberries into boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water and drain. Place the drained berries on paper towels to remove any excess water.

2 Place the blueberries on your trays and dry in a conventional oven or dehydrator for about 24 hours at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 2 to 4 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The blueberries should be leathery and hard, but shriveled like raisins.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 203 (From fat 12); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 22mg; Carbohydrates 51g (Dietary fiber 10g); Protein 2g.

TIP: Use dried blueberries in place of raisins and listen to your family rave!

Dried Cherries

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 14 TO 28 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: SWEET CHERRIES, 80 PERCENT; SOUR CHERRIES, 84 PERCENT | YIELD: 2 CUPS

INGREDIENTS

6 to 8 pounds fresh cherries

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash the cherries in cold water. Then cut them in half and remove the pits.

2 Place the cherry halves on your trays skin side down, cut side up. Dry them in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 2 to 3 hours at 165 degrees, or until there is a slightly leathery appearance to the skin and cut surface. Then reduce the heat to 135 degrees and dry for an additional 12 to 25 hours. (Sun-dry for 2 to 4 days.) Rotate the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying.

3 Test for doneness: The cherries should be leathery, hard, and slightly sticky.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 220 (From fat 27); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 51g (Dietary fiber 7g); Protein 4g.

TIP: Dried cherries taste great out of hand, or try them in your next muffin recipe.

Dried Citrus Peel

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 1 TO 2 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 86 PERCENT | YIELD: ⅛ CUP

INGREDIENTS

1 pound fresh oranges

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash the citrus fruit and remove a thin layer of peel using a vegetable peeler. Be careful not to get any of the white, bitter pith. If you do, don’t use that part of the peel.

2 Arrange the peel on your trays and dry in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 1 to 2 hours at 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-drying is not recommended.)

3 Test for doneness: The peels should be crisp, but not brittle.

PER 1-TEASPOON SERVING: Calories 2 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 1g (Dietary fiber 0g); Protein 0g.

VARY IT! Dried citrus peel makes a great addition to your tea. It also gives a fruity zip to desserts and sweetbread recipes. Try citrus peel in muffins and cakes.

TIP: Use grapefruits, lemons, limes, oranges, or tangerines with unblemished skin.

NOTE: Don’t use fruit with color added.

Dried Grapes

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 24 TO 48 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 81 PERCENT | YIELD: 1¼ CUPS

INGREDIENTS

4½ pounds fresh grapes

DIRECTIONS

1 If you’re using seedless grapes, hold them by the stem and dip the grapes in boiling water for 30 seconds to split the skins to allow the grapes to dry more quickly (otherwise, the skin holds the moisture in). Drain the grapes on paper towels and remove the stems. If you’re using seeded grapes, cut each grape in half and remove the seeds.

2 Arrange the grapes on the tray (if you’re drying grape halves, place them skin side down, cut side up, on the tray). Dry the grapes in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 24 to 48 hours at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 3 to 6 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The grapes (now raisins) should be pliable with no moisture pockets.

PER ¼ CUP SERVING: Calories 279 (From fat 21); Fat 2g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 8mg; Carbohydrates 70g (Dietary fiber 4g); Protein 3g.

TIP: Thompson seedless grapes make the best-tasting raisins.

Dried Peaches

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: HALVES, 24 TO 36 HOURS; SLICES, 14 TO 16 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: PEACHES, 89 PERCENT; NECTARINES, 82 PERCENT | YIELD: ½ CUP

INGREDIENTS

2 to 2½ pounds of fresh peaches

DIRECTIONS

1 To prepare the peaches, remove the peel, cut the fruit in half, and remove and discard the pits. Leave the fruit in halves or slice them into ¼-inch pieces. (Prepare nectarines the same way, but leave the peel on.) Dip the fruit in your choice of dipping solution (refer to the section, “Making time for pretreating,” earlier in this chapter, for your options and detailed instructions).

2 Arrange the fruit on your trays (if you’re drying halves, place them skin side down, cut side up). Dry in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 24 to 36 hours (halves) or 14 to 16 hours (slices) at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 2 to 6 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The fruit should be leathery, pliable, and shriveled with no moisture pockets.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 42 (From fat 1); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 11g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 1g.

TIP: Clingstone or freestone varieties, where the fruit separates easily from the pit, are easier to work with.

NOTE: Although this recipe uses peaches, you follow the same steps to dry nectarines.

Dried Pears

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 12 TO 18 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 83 PERCENT | YIELD: 1½ CUPS

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds fresh pears

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash, peel, and core the pears. Cut them into halves, quarters, or ¼-inch slices. Dip the pear pieces in your choice of dipping solution (refer to the section, “Making time for pretreating,” earlier in this chapter, for your options and detailed instructions).

2 Arrange the fruit on your trays and dry in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 12 to 18 hours at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 2 to 3 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The pear pieces should be leathery with no moisture pockets.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 164 (From fat 10); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 42g (Dietary fiber 7g); Protein 1g.

TIP: Eat these sweet slices like apples, or use dried pears in any recipe calling for dried apples.

Dried Pineapple

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 12 TO 18 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 86 PERCENT | YIELD: 1½ CUPS

INGREDIENTS

6 pounds fresh pineapple

DIRECTIONS

1 Cut away the peel and the eyes from the pineapple and remove the core. Cut the flesh into ¼-inch-thick rings.

2 Arrange the pineapple rings on your trays and dry in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 12 to 18 hours at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 4 to 5 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The pineapple rings should be leathery and not sticky.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 116 (From fat 9); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 29g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 1g.

TIP: Use fully ripe fruit.

Dried Plums

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: QUARTERS, 12 TO 15 HOURS; SLICES, 10 TO 12 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 87 PERCENT | YIELD: 1 CUP

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds fresh plums

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash the plums; then cut them in half and discard the pits. Quarter the plum halves or cut them into ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices.

2 Arrange the plum pieces on your trays. Dry them in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 12 to 15 hours (quarters) or 10 to 12 hours (slices) at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 4 to 5 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The plums should be pliable and shriveled.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 176 (From fat 18); Fat 2g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 42g (Dietary fiber 5g); Protein 3g.

Dried Strawberries

PREP TIME: 20 MIN | DRYING TIME: 8 TO 10 HOURS | WATER CONTENT: 90 PERCENT | YIELD: ½ CUP

INGREDIENTS

1 pound fresh strawberries

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash the strawberries and remove the caps. Cut them into ¼-inch slices.

2 Arrange the slices on your trays. Dry in a conventional oven or dehydrator for 8 to 10 hours at 130 to 135 degrees, rotating the trays occasionally to facilitate even drying. (Sun-dry for 1 to 2 days.)

3 Test for doneness: The strawberries should be pliable, hard, and almost crisp.

PER ¼-CUP SERVING: Calories 64 (From fat 7); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 15g (Dietary fiber 5g); Protein 1g.

Dried Fruit Medley

PREP TIME: 15 MIN | YIELD: 4½ CUPS

INGREDIENTS

½ cup toasted almonds

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup dried apples, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup dried apricots, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup dried banana slices

½ cup dried pears, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup dried pineapple, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

1 Place all the ingredients in a large bowl; stir to combine and distribute the fruit and nuts evenly.

2 Store your mix in home-canning jars or other airtight containers.

PER ½-CUP SERVING: Calories 267 (From fat 83); Fat 9g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 5mg; Carbohydrates 47g (Dietary fiber 6g); Protein 6g.

VARY IT! Mix in a little bit of chocolate, such as M&M-type candies.

Fruit Leather

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES OR LONGER, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF FRUIT | DRYING TIME: DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE IN YOUR FRUIT; ALLOW 6 TO 8 HOURS IN AN ELECTRIC DEHYDRATOR OR UP TO 18 HOURS IN A CONVENTIONAL OVEN. SUN-DRYING ISN’T RECOMMENDED. | YIELD: 4 CUPS OF FRUIT PURÉE MAKES 8 TO 12 SERVINGS; 2½ CUPS COVERS AN 18-X-14-INCH AREA, ¼-INCH THICK

INGREDIENTS

One of any of the following fresh fruits:

2 to 3 pounds apples (about 8 to 12)
3 to 4 pounds apricots (about 24)
3 to 4 pounds peaches (about 8 to 12)
4 pints strawberries

Water or fruit juice (optional)

Corn syrup or honey (optional)

⅛ teaspoon ground spices (optional): choose from allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice

¼ to ½ teaspoon pure extract flavors (optional): choose from almond, lemon, orange, or vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1 Cover your drying trays or baking sheets with a heavy-duty, food-grade plastic wrap. If your dehydrator comes with special sheets for your trays, use those.

2 Wash your fruit and remove any blemishes. Prepare your fruit as directed in the guidelines for preparing fruit in this chapter.

3 Purée the fruit in a blender until smooth. Strain out any small seeds, if desired, with a mesh strainer or a food mill. If your purée is too thick, add water or fruit juice, 1 tablespoon or less at a time. If your purée is too tart, add corn syrup or honey, 1 teaspoon at a time. If you’re adding spices or other flavorings, add them now.

4 Spread the purée onto the prepared trays to a thickness of ⅛ inch in the center and ¼-inch-thick around the edges (you want the edges thicker than the center because the edges dry faster). If you use cooked fruit, it must be completely cool before you spread it on the trays.

5 Dry your fruit leather at a temperature of 135 degrees in a dehydrator or 140 degrees in a conventional oven. Dry the fruit until it’s pliable and leatherlike with no stickiness in the center.

6 Roll the warm fruit leather, still attached to the plastic, into a roll (see Figure 17-2). Leave the rolls whole, or cut them into pieces with scissors. Store the rolls in a plastic bag or an airtight container.

PER ½-CUP SERVING OF APPLE PURÈE: Calories 55 (From fat 3); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 14g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 0g.

PER ½-CUP SERVING OF APRICOT PURÈE: Calories 76 (From fat 6); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 18g (Dietary fiber 4g); Protein 2g.

PER ½-CUP SERVING OF PEACH PURÈE: Calories 64 (From fat 1); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrates 16g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 1g.

PER ½-CUP SERVING OF STRAWBERRY PURÈE: Calories 43 (From fat 5); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1mg; Carbohydrates 10g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 1g.

NOTE: The spice flavoring will intensify as the fruit leather dries. Use a light hand, and no more than ⅛ teaspoon total in each batch.

VARY IT! Some other good choices for fruit leathers are berries, cherries, nectarines, pears, pineapple, and plums.

NOTE: If you try drying nothing else, fruit leather is a must. It is so delicious, your family will never guess how nutritious it actually is.

Schematic illustration of preparing and rolling fruit leather. — FIGURE 17-2: Preparing and rolling fruit leather.

Fruit and Bran Muffins

PREP TIME: 25 MIN | BAKING TIME: 20 TO 25 MIN | YIELD: 16 TO 20 MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups whole-bran cereal (not bran flakes)

½ cup boiling water

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup honey

¼ cup melted unsalted butter

1½ cups mixed dried fruit, your combination choice

½ cup chopped macadamia nuts

½ cup whole-wheat flour

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1¼ teaspoons baking soda

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2 Combine the bran cereal with water in a large mixing bowl. Stir to moisten the cereal. Cool the mixture until it’s lukewarm. Stir in the egg, buttermilk, honey, butter, dried fruit, and nuts; mix well. Set aside.

3 Combine the flours, salt, and baking soda in a small mixing bowl. Add this to the wet ingredients, stirring just until the ingredients are evenly moist. Spoon the batter into your prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about ¾ full.

4 Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan; remove them from the pan and place them on a rack to cool completely. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container.

PER 1-MUFFIN SERVING: Calories 199 (From fat 87); Fat 10g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 29mg; Sodium 225mg; Carbohydrates 28g (Dietary fiber 3g); Protein 3g.

VARY IT! Personalize this hearty muffin by using your favorite dried fruits and nuts.