Fruits can be dried in several different ways.
When you think of dry fruits, you might think first about raisins or apricots or dried apple slices. There are, however, many other types of fruits that dry well. Not only are there different varieties of dried fruit that are readily available, there are different methods of drying fruit that lead to completely different results even from the same fruits.
Dehydrated
Dehydrated fruits are perhaps the most familiar. You probably see these in bags every time you go to the grocery store. Dehydrated fruits can be made from whole fruits, like apricots, or from slices or chunks of fruit, like papaya spears or apple slices. These can be tough and chewy. Dehydrated fruit is perhaps the easiest, as you can simply slice the fruit, put it in a dehydrator and turn the dehydrator on. Depending on the kind of dehydrator you have, you may need to rotate the top tray to the bottom every couple of hours.
Freeze Dried
Freeze-dried fruits are much lighter than dehydrated fruits and tend to retain more of their original shape. They tend to be crunchy and almost brittle. This form of drying is most common among small fruits and berries, but may also be used on larger fruits (although these fruits are usually cut into small pieces first). You may also be familiar with freeze-dried vegetables that you can buy as snacks in many stores, including peas and corn kernels. Freeze-dried fruits work not only as an excellent snack, but also as a sweet and relatively healthful topping for cereal or ice cream.
Paste/Leather
Fruit leather is often sold pre-packaged for children (or adults) to enjoy. Instead of being dried whole fruits or fruit pieces, fruit leather is made by making the fruit into a paste, adding any other ingredients (such as sugar or preservatives), and then drying the paste. You can make your own fruit leather at home by simmering the fruit with a little water until it is completely cooked. Next, mash the fruit in the pan with a potato masher. Add any sugar or spices, or a little lemon, and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Put your mashed fruit into a food processor or blender and puree it until it is perfectly smooth. Spread the pureed fruit onto a sheet of parchment paper laid on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the oven, turned on to a very low temperature. Leave the oven door slightly open, and bake until the paste is mostly dry but still slightly sticky and flexible.
Tags: apple slices, baking sheet, Freeze-dried fruits, fruit into, fruit leather, fruit that