Drying Fruits: Preparing The Fruit
Drying Fruits: Preparing The Fruit
This information has been reviewed and adapted for use in South Carolina by P.H. Schmutz,
HGIC Information Specialist, and E.H. Hoyle, Extension food Safety Specialist, Clemson
University. (New 05/99.)
HGIC 3084
Dried fruits are unique, tasty and nutritious. It might be argued that dried fruits are even
tastier than fresh fruits. They have been called nature’s candy. Dried fruit tastes sweeter
because the water has been removed, thus concentrating the fruit’s flavor. Dried fruit can be
eaten as a snack or added to cereals, muffins or ice cream.
Before drying, skins need to be "checked" or cracked to speed drying. To "check" the fruit,
place it in boiling water and then in cold water. Because of the high humidity in the South,
whole fruits need to be dried in a dehydrator instead of out-of-doors. Because fruits contain
sugar and are sticky, spray the drying trays with non-stick cooking spray before placing the
fruit on the trays. After the fruit dries for one to two hours, lift each piece gently with a metal
spatula and turn.
Sulfuring: Sulfuring is an old method of pretreating fruits. Sublimed sulfur is ignited and
burned in an enclosed box with the fruit. The sulfur fumes penetrate the fruit and act as a
pretreatment by retarding spoilage and darkening of the fruit. The sulfur fumes also reduce
the loss of vitamins A and C. Fruits must be sulfured out-of-doors where there is adequate air
circulation.
Sulfite Dip: Sulfite dips can achieve the same long-term anti-darkening effect as sulfuring
but more quickly and easily. Either sodium bisulfite, sodium sulfite or sodium meta-bisulfite
that are USP (food grade) or Reagent grade (pure) can be used. To locate these, check with
your local drugstores or hobby shops, where wine-making supplies are sold.
Dissolve ¾ to 1½ teaspoons sodium bisulfite per quart of water. (If using sodium sulfite, use
1½ to 3 teaspoons. If using sodium meta-bisulfite, use 1 to 2 tablespoons.) Place the prepared
fruit in the mixture and soak five minutes for slices, fifteen minutes for halves. Remove fruit,
rinse lightly under cold water and place on drying trays. Sulfited foods can be dried indoors
or outdoors. (This solution can be used only once. Make a new one for the next batch.)
Ascorbic Acid: Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) mixed with water is a safe way to prevent fruit
browning. However, its protection does not last as long as sulfuring or sulfiting. Ascorbic
acid is available in the powdered or tablet form from drugstores or grocery stores. One
teaspoon of powdered ascorbic acid is equal to 3000 mg of ascorbic acid in tablet form. (If
you buy 500 mg tablets, this would be six tablets.)
Mix 1 teaspoon of powdered ascorbic acid (or 3000 mg ascorbic acid tablets, crushed) in 2
cups water. Place the fruit in the solution for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove fruit, drain well and
place on dryer trays. After this solution is used twice, add more ascorbic acid.
Ascorbic Acid Mixtures: Ascorbic acid mixtures are a mixture of ascorbic acid and sugar,
sold for use on fresh fruits and in canning or freezing. It is more expensive and not as
effective as using pure ascorbic acid.
Mix 1½ tablespoons of ascorbic acid mixture with one quart of water. Place the fruit in the
mixture and soak three to five minutes. Drain the fruit well and place on dryer trays. After
this solution is used twice, add more ascorbic acid mixture.
Fruit Juice Dip: A fruit juice that is high in vitamin C can also be used as a pretreatment,
though it is not as effective as pure ascorbic acid. Juices high in vitamin C include orange,
lemon, pineapple, grape and cranberry. Each juice adds it own color and flavor to the fruit.
Place enough juice to cover the fruit in a bowl. Add cut fruit. Soak 3 to 5 minutes, remove
fruit, drain well and place on dryer trays. This solution may be used twice, before being
replaced. (The used juice can be consumed.)
Honey Dip: Many store-bought dried fruits have been dipped in a honey solution. A similar
dip can be made at home. Honey-dipped fruit is much higher in calories.
Mix ½ cup sugar with 1½ cups boiling water. Cool to lukewarm and add ½ cup honey Place
fruit in dip and soak 3 to 5 minutes. Remove fruit, drain well and place on dryer trays.
Syrup-Blanching: Blanching fruit in syrup helps it retain color fairly well during drying and
storage. The resulting product is similar to candied fruit. Fruits that can be syrup-blanched
include: apples, apricots, figs, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and prunes.
Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup and 2 cups water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Add 1
pound of prepared fruit and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let fruit stand in hot
syrup for 30 minutes. Lift fruit out of syrup, rinse lightly in cold water, drain on paper towels
and place on dryer trays.
Steam-Blanching: Steam-blanching also helps retain color and slow oxidation. However, the
flavor and texture of the fruit is changed.
Place several inches of water in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Heat to boiling. Place fruit
not more than 2 inches deep, in a steamer pan or wire basket over boiling water. Cover tightly
with lid and begin timing immediately. See table, "Drying Fruits at Home," for blanching
times. Check for even blanching, halfway through the blanching time. Some fruit may need
to be stirred. When done, remove excess moisture using paper towels and place on dryer
trays.
To test for dryness, cut several cooled pieces in half. There should be no visible moisture and
you should not be able to squeeze any moisture from the fruit. Some fruits may remain
pliable, but they should not be sticky or tacky. If a piece is folded in half, it should not stick
to itself. Berries should be dried until they rattle when shaken.
After drying, cool fruit 30 to 60 minutes before packaging. Avoid packaging warm food that
could lead to sweating and moisture buildup. However, excessive delays in packaging could
allow moisture to reenter food. If you’ve dried fruit out-of-doors, pasteurize it before
packaging either by placing the fruit in freezer bags in the freezer at 0 °F or below for at least
48 hours, or for 30 minutes in a single layer on a cookie sheet in an oven preheated to 160 °F.
Conditioning Fruits
The moisture content of home-dried fruit should be about 20 percent. When the fruit is taken
from the dehydrator, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among the pieces
because of their size or their location in the dehydrator. Conditioning is the process used to
equalize the moisture. It reduces the risk of mold growth. To condition the fruit, take the
dried fruit that has cooled and pack it loosely in plastic or glass jars. Seal the containers and
let them stand for seven to 10 days. The excess moisture in some pieces will be absorbed by
the drier pieces. Shake the jars daily to separate the pieces and check the moisture
condensation. If condensation develops in the jar, return the fruit to the dehydrator for more
drying. After conditioning, package and store the fruit according to the following directions.
Glass jars, metal cans or boxes with tight-fitting lids, or moisture- and vapor-resistant freezer
cartons make good containers for storing dried foods. Heavy-duty plastic bags are acceptable
but are not insect- and rodent-proof. Fruits that have been sulfured should not touch metal.
Sulfur fumes will react with the metal and cause color changes in the fruit. Place the fruit in a
plastic bag before storing it in a metal can. Pack fruit in amounts that will be used in a recipe.
Every time a package is reopened, the food is exposed to air and moisture that lower the
quality of the food.
Dried fruits should be stored in cool, dry, dark areas. Recommended storage times for dried
fruits range from four months to one year. Because food quality is affected by heat, the
storage temperature helps determine the length of storage; the higher the temperature, the
shorter the storage time. Most dried fruits can be stored for one year at 60 °F, six months at
80 °F.
Fruits that are packaged seemingly bone-dry can spoil if moisture is reabsorbed during
storage. Check dried fruits frequently during storage to see if they are still dry. Glass
containers are excellent for storage because any moisture that collects on the inside can be
seen easily. Fruits affected by moisture, but not spoiled, should be used immediately or
redried or repackaged. Moldy foods should be discarded.
**Drying times are shorter for slices and other cuts of fruit.
Ascorbic
Peel and core, cut
3 to 5 acid
into slices or
Apples ¾ (depending 10 solution, 6 to 12
rings about 1/8-
on texture) ascorbic
inch thick.
acid
Drying Fruits at Home
Pretreatment (Choose One)
Blanch Drying
Sulfur Times,*
Fruits Preparation Steam Syrup Other
(hrs.) Dehydrator
(mins.) (mins.) (hrs.)
mixture,
fruit juice
dip, sulfite
dip
Ascorbic
acid
solution,
Pit and halve. ascorbic
Apricots May slice if 2 3 to 4 10 acid 24 to 36**
desired. mixture,
fruit juice
dip, sulfite
dip
Honey dip,
Use solid yellow
ascorbic
or slightly brown-
acid
flecked bananas.
solution,
Avoid bruised or
ascorbic
Bananas overripe bananas. 8 to 10
acid
Peel and slice ¼-
mixture,
inch to 3/8-inch
fruit juice
thick, crosswise
dip, sulfite
or lengthwise.
dip
Plunge
into
boiling
Wash and drain water 15
berries. With to 30
waxy coating— seconds to
Berries, blueberries, "check"
24 to 36
Firm cranberries, skins.
currants, Place fruit
gooseberries, in ice
huckleberries water.
Drain on
paper
towels.
No
Berries, Wash and drain
treatment 24 to 36
Soft berries.
necessary.
Drying Fruits at Home
Pretreatment (Choose One)
Blanch Drying
Sulfur Times,*
Fruits Preparation Steam Syrup Other
(hrs.) Dehydrator
(mins.) (mins.) (hrs.)
Boysenberries
and strawberries
Whole:
Dip in
boiling
water 30
Stem, wash, drain seconds or
and pit fully ripe 10 (for more to
Cherries cherries. Cut in sour check 8 to 12
half, chop or cherries) skins.
leave whole.
Cut and
pitted: no
treatment
necessary.
Whole:
Dip in
boiling
Select fully ripe water 30
fruit. Immature seconds or
fruit may sour more to
before drying. check
Wash or clean Whole: skins.
Figs 6 to 12**
whole fruit with 1 Plunge in
damp cloth. ice water
Leave small fruit to stop
whole, otherwise further
cut in half. cooking.
Drain on
paper
towels.
Whole:
Dip in
boiling
water 30
Grapes,
Leave whole seconds or 12 to 20
Seedless
more to
check
skins.
Plunge in
Drying Fruits at Home
Pretreatment (Choose One)
Blanch Drying
Sulfur Times,*
Fruits Preparation Steam Syrup Other
(hrs.) Dehydrator
(mins.) (mins.) (hrs.)
ice water
to stop
further
cooking.
Drain on
paper
towels.
Halves:
Grapes, Cut in half and No
12 to 20
With Seeds remove seeds treatment
necessary.
When sulfuring,
Ascorbic
pit and halve; if
acid
desired, remove
solution,
skins. For steam Halves:
ascorbic
Nectarines and syrup 2 to 3
8 10 acid 36 to 48**
and Peaches blanching, leave Slices:
mixture,
whole, then pit 1
fruit juice
and halve. May
dip,
also be slice and
sulfiting
quartered.
Ascorbic
acid
Cut in half and solution,
Halves:
core. Peeling ascorbic
5
Pears preferred. May Halves: 6 10 acid 24 to 36**
Slices:
also slice or mixture,
2
quarter. fruit juice
dip,
sulfiting
Use firm fruit of
long, soft
varieties or fully
ripe fruit of May
Persimmons round, drier syrup- 12 to 15**
varieties. Peel and blanch
slice using
stainless steel
knife.
Drying Fruits at Home
Pretreatment (Choose One)
Blanch Drying
Sulfur Times,*
Fruits Preparation Steam Syrup Other
(hrs.) Dehydrator
(mins.) (mins.) (hrs.)
Use fully ripe,
fresh
pineapple. Wash,
peel and remove No
Pineapple thorny eyes. Slice treatment 24 to 26**
lengthwise and necessary
remove core. Cut
in ½-inch slices,
crosswise.
Sun drying
(whole):
Dip in
boiling
water 30
seconds or
Leave whole or, if more to
Plums and
sulfuring, halve 1 check 24 to 36**
Prunes
the fruit. skins.
Oven or
dehydrator
drying:
Rinse in
hot water.
Source: