It’s remarkably easy to dehydrate fruits and veggies in the oven.
Many foods can be dehydrated for long-term storage including fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, fruit leather, jams, yogurt, sauces, herbs, syrup, honey, and even pet food. Dehydrating works by removing moisture (water) from foods, this means that oil-based or foods that are higher in fat don’t dehydrate well.
Foods that cannot be dehydrated include avocados, milk, peanut butter, and butter.
Directions
- Cut your fruit and veg into ¼ inch slices, and put them in the oven on a lined sheet pan for as long as they need, usually 6 to 8 hours. Make sure to cut your fruit and veg the same size, to ensure they all dehydrate at the same rate and time.
- Once dried, set-aside to full cool then store in an airtight container, and a dark cool place (pantry) in the kitchen.
-
Most dried fruits can be stored for 12 - 6 months in an airtight container in your pantry. Vegetables have about half the shelf-life of fruits. Check your dried foods frequently during storage to see if they are still dry. -
We love using derated fruit in cakes, bakes and as a snack for school lunches. Dried fruits can be added to soups, stews, savoury bakes.
