Drying fruits, although done faster and in larger quantities through industrial methods, can also be done at home with high quality using 3 simple methods.

Home Fruit Drying

While industrial fruit drying is done with fully mechanized machines and a larger workforce, resulting in dried fruits with higher volume, for household consumption, fruits can be dried using 3 simple methods to enjoy throughout the year. The three methods for drying fruits at home are:

Drying fruits in the oven

Drying fruits with sunlight

Drying fruits with a fruit dehydrator

What is Dried Fruit?

Dried fruit (fruit chips) refers to fruits that have lost all their water content through drying. Dried fruit chips are a rich source of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and natural sugars. Various fruits such as strawberries, apricots, plums, kiwis, mangoes, bananas, pears, cherries, oranges, and tangerines can be chosen for drying.

Choosing the Right Fruit

Before starting the fruit drying process, it is important to choose the right fruits for drying. Therefore, consider the following points for selecting fruits suitable for drying:

Choose fruits suitable for drying:

Not all fruits can be dried, so choose fruits that are suitable for drying. Seedless grapes, peaches, apricots, plums, bananas, apples, mangoes, figs, pears, etc.

Choose ripe fruits:

Select healthy and ripe fruits. Unripe fruits lack sugar content, and drying them is futile, like unripe kiwis turning white instead of green after drying. Overripe fruits cannot be sliced properly, and if dried, they either become too dry due to excess moisture loss or lose their minerals during the drying process.

Preparing Fruits for Drying

After selecting the suitable fruit, it's time to prepare the fruit, which includes the following steps:

Washing the fruits:

It is better to use cold water to wash the fruits. Start by removing any dirt from the fruits by rubbing with your fingers and then thoroughly rinse them. Dry the fruits with a towel. For small fruits like berries or grapes, use a colander to remove excess water.

Peeling fruits (if necessary):

Some fruits like cherries do not need peeling, but fruits like bananas and kiwis require peeling. Peeling fruits like bananas or oranges is easy, but fruits like mangoes or kiwis need to be peeled with a sharp knife.

Slicing or cutting fruits:

Slicing fruits like mangoes, bananas, strawberries, oranges, pineapples, peaches, apricots, etc., should be done with a thickness of about 0.3 to 0.6 centimeters. Ensure uniform thickness for all fruits that will be dried together. For fruits like grapes and berries, slicing is not necessary, but remove any seeds if present.

Arranging on trays:

Arrange the fruits on trays in such a way that the slices do not touch each other but utilize the tray space efficiently for better drying. If using an oven or a fruit dehydrator, place a parchment paper on the tray and arrange the fruit slices on it. If using sunlight for drying, cover the tray with a mesh to protect from insects and dust.

Home Drying Methods for Fruits

As mentioned, you can use 3 simple methods for drying fruits at home.

Drying fruits in the oven

Drying fruits in the oven is one of the home methods for drying fruits. To ensure all fruits dry uniformly without retaining moisture or becoming overly dry, follow the steps below after selecting, washing, and arranging the fruits on trays.

Place the tray in the oven:

Preheat the oven to 50 degrees Celsius. Once heated, place the tray in the oven.

Dry the fruits for 4 to 8 hours:

The drying time depends on the type of fruit, oven temperature, and thickness of the fruit slices, typically ranging from 4 to 8 hours. Rotate the fruit slices every half hour or hour to ensure even drying on both sides. Avoid fluctuating the oven temperature. Check the fruits regularly to prevent burning.

Remove from the oven and storage conditions:

Once the fruits have lost all their water content, have an elastic texture like rubber but are easy to chew, remove them from the oven. Let them cool in open air to dissipate heat, then store them in airtight containers.

Drying time for fruits in the oven

Naturally, the drying time varies for different fruits. Here are the drying times for various fruits in the oven:

Apricots, pears, peaches, bananas, and apples: 6 hours

Grapes and citrus fruits: 8 to 10 hours

Cherries, strawberries, and plums: 12 hours

Drying fruits with sunlight

One of the traditional and common home methods for drying fruits is using sunlight. It is also one of the most cost-effective methods as it requires no equipment and no energy consumption. Therefore, consider the following points:

Choose a warm day for drying fruits:

The minimum required air temperature for sun-drying is around 30 degrees Celsius with 60% humidity. Some fruits may need several days of sunlight for drying, so choose this time frame carefully and ensure sunny days in succession.

Place the fruits on a mesh tray:

Use a stainless steel mesh tray with Teflon coating for arranging the fruits. Cover the fruits with a food-grade plastic mesh after arranging them to protect from insects and birds.

Expose the tray to sunlight:

Use two bricks to elevate the tray and place it in direct sunlight. Elevating the tray allows heat to reach the fruits from both sides, speeding up the drying process. You can use aluminum foil to reflect light under the tray. Move the tray to a sheltered space at night to prevent moisture from returning to the fruits.

Collecting and storing:

Rotate the fruits twice daily to ensure uniform drying on both sides. After a few days and ensuring the fruits are dried, expose them to sunlight for an hour, then store them in transparent airtight containers in a dry and cool place. Seal the container tightly after each use.

Drying fruits with a fruit dehydrator

Various non-industrial fruit dehydrators are available in the market for home use. You can use a home fruit dehydrator to dry fruits, following the steps below:

Initial settings:

Set the fruit dehydrator to the fruit drying option. If your device does not have this option, set the temperature to 75 degrees Celsius.

Drying time for fruits in the fruit dehydrator:

Distribute the fruit slices in different layers in the dehydrator. The drying time varies based on the type and thickness of the fruit, usually ranging from 24 to 48 hours. Rotate the fruit slices every 6 to 8 hours for even drying. Ensure uniform thickness of the fruit slices to prevent some fruits from drying faster. Check the fruits every 12 hours to prevent overdrying and remove them from the dehydrator once dried.

Collecting and storing:

After drying, remove the fruits from the dehydrator and let them cool for half to 1 hour. Then, store them in clear airtight containers to prevent moisture absorption.

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