Ah ok Christa, I dont really care what it looks like as long as it tastes good. I eat so many veges and fruit that I probably am not going to suffer with a reduction in the vitamins. Plus I now have so many things to do here that I need everything I do to be as quick as possible. At the moment am managing about another 90 quail chicks on top of my other animals. Plus the daily vegetable gardening chores, I cant wait for summer when I can work in the garden without a headlamp lol.
Doug , I suppose it comes down to how much work you want to do to keep this dried fruit looking good. These notes are from the Ball Blue Book of preserving.
Dipping is a pre-treatment used to prevent fruits such as apples, bananas, peaches, and pears from oxidizing. Oxidation is the process that causes fruits to turn brown and lose some vitamins A and C when exposed to the oxygen in air. Common antioxidants are Ball Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector, lemon or lime juice, and ascorbic acid.”
From "Preserve it Naturally"
(Dried) fruits are normally eaten in the dried state, so appearance is something to consider. Certain fruits, like apples, darken to a rusty brown color during drying. Pretreating lessens the browning, while helping to preserve vitamins A and C.”
Anti-oxidants such as lemon juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, honey, crystalline ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sodium bisulfite, and commercial products containing ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sugar are effective dipping solutions. When using a dip, drain treated food, rinse thoroughly, and blot off any excess moisture with paper toweling prior to placing the food in the dehydrator.”
Pawpaw is a very different experience when dried. Like vegetive jerky. I love the texture and chewiness.
When you check out the prices of dried fruits online, home drying makes a lot of sense for preserving a glut...and with most fruit harvests you'll always have too many to eat fresh.
Much as I love dried pawpaw, my primary taste thrill was the Dragon Fruit. The Balsamic strawbs are excellent. Banana is loved by my wife who has, unlike me, a sweet tooth.
What got me thinking more about food dehydration was my purchases of Chipotle Chilli-- which is a product of smoked and dried Jalapeños. I've got a serious chipotle addiction -- so I may be firing up the barbee at some stage if I can generate a good supply of Jalapeños (which isn't a very hot chili).
Dried tomatoes are very useful, not only because they are on hand, but you can add them to a dish late in cooking and they stay together as they soften. So rather than just flavour the stock they survive the heat as a standalone taste thrill.
Do you spray or soak fruit slices before putting into dehydrator.
Slice pawpaw about 1/8 inch with mandolin. I got rid of my mandolins. Oops!
Stir 1 teaspoon citric acid, or 2½ tablespoons ascorbic acid, into a bowl containing 1 quart of water. Add the cut papaya and let the pieces soak for 10 minutes.
Gonna crack up the dehydrater tonight and load up the papaya.
Do you have a red shatoot mulberry? They would be great dried as they are sweet like honey. Must try them, ours is just starting to push out tiny fruit. My black hicks mulberries struggle to make it inside can eat them by the bowlfull.
Yes. I love dried papaya. Very chewy. I've gone dried fruit tropo. Great nutritious snacks any time.
I was waiting on the mulberry season. One of the few fruits I do grow.
But it is usually the white that is dried. Being bigger I guess. It is a Turkish thing. My white mulberry is not very productive.
Comments
Ah ok Christa, I dont really care what it looks like as long as it tastes good. I eat so many veges and fruit that I probably am not going to suffer with a reduction in the vitamins. Plus I now have so many things to do here that I need everything I do to be as quick as possible. At the moment am managing about another 90 quail chicks on top of my other animals. Plus the daily vegetable gardening chores, I cant wait for summer when I can work in the garden without a headlamp lol.
Doug , I suppose it comes down to how much work you want to do to keep this dried fruit looking good. These notes are from the Ball Blue Book of preserving.
Dipping is a pre-treatment used to prevent fruits such as apples, bananas, peaches, and pears from oxidizing. Oxidation is the process that causes fruits to turn brown and lose some vitamins A and C when exposed to the oxygen in air. Common antioxidants are Ball Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector, lemon or lime juice, and ascorbic acid.”
From "Preserve it Naturally"
Pawpaw is a very different experience when dried. Like vegetive jerky. I love the texture and chewiness.
When you check out the prices of dried fruits online, home drying makes a lot of sense for preserving a glut...and with most fruit harvests you'll always have too many to eat fresh.
Much as I love dried pawpaw, my primary taste thrill was the Dragon Fruit. The Balsamic strawbs are excellent. Banana is loved by my wife who has, unlike me, a sweet tooth.
What got me thinking more about food dehydration was my purchases of Chipotle Chilli-- which is a product of smoked and dried Jalapeños. I've got a serious chipotle addiction -- so I may be firing up the barbee at some stage if I can generate a good supply of Jalapeños (which isn't a very hot chili).
Dried tomatoes are very useful, not only because they are on hand, but you can add them to a dish late in cooking and they stay together as they soften. So rather than just flavour the stock they survive the heat as a standalone taste thrill.
I havent Christa I am a bit of a newbie dehydrater. What is the reason for soaking?
Do you spray or soak fruit slices before putting into dehydrator.
Slice pawpaw about 1/8 inch with mandolin. I got rid of my mandolins. Oops!
Stir 1 teaspoon citric acid, or 2½ tablespoons ascorbic acid, into a bowl containing 1 quart of water. Add the cut papaya and let the pieces soak for 10 minutes.
I can't wait for a glut of something to dry.
Finished dehydrating this morning. You are right Dave I actually prefer it dried, very nice.
Thanks Dave. Trying some starfuit while I am at it
10mm is about what I slice off. After peeling.
How thick do you slice it Dave?
Gonna crack up the dehydrater tonight and load up the papaya.
Do you have a red shatoot mulberry? They would be great dried as they are sweet like honey. Must try them, ours is just starting to push out tiny fruit. My black hicks mulberries struggle to make it inside can eat them by the bowlfull.
I was waiting on the mulberry season. One of the few fruits I do grow.
But it is usually the white that is dried. Being bigger I guess. It is a Turkish thing. My white mulberry is not very productive.