How to Make Dehydrated Fruit at Home This Summer

Last Updated on September 29, 2020 by Ellen Christian

Have you ever wondered how to make dehydrated fruit at home? We love those little packets of apple rings, dried strawberries, and fruit leathers.

But, wow can they get expensive when you snack on them regularly. They’re the perfect snack for camping, hiking, or traveling so we use buy quite a few of them in the summer.

Thankfully, it’s really easy to make your own dehydrated fruit at home. Why not learn how to dry blueberries.

Make Dehydrated Fruit

There are a few different ways to make dehydrated fruit at home depending on what type of equipment you have. If this is something you’re going to do regularly, I definitely recommend that you invest in a food dehydrator or solar oven which will be more cost-effective than making it in the oven. If you just want to try a batch or two to see how you like it, start with the oven method first.

Make dehydrated fruit in a solar oven

We have a Global Sun Oven that we use in the summer to keep the kitchen cool. It’s also a great way to make dehydrated fruit or vegetables. You will need to have drying racks or you can use cookie cooling racks depending on how much you want to dry. We’ve used this method for dehydrated apple slices. Simply peel the apple, slice the apples thinly, and dip in a solution of water and this powder to prevent browning.

Cover the racks with parchment paper. Layer the apples on each rack being sure to leave enough room for adequate air flow. Leave the top cracked slightly to allow air to circulate. Start in the morning and check frequently. You want to dehydrate slowly so you will need to move the oven to stay with the sun without allowing it to get too hot. This method takes a bit of trial and error but is fun to do and uses no electricity. Store it in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Dehydrating fruit leather

One of the benefits of learning to make dehydrated fruit at home is that you can make your own fruit leather. Dehydrating fruit leather is easiest (for me) to do in a food dehydrator because the time is more closely regulated. You will need to have fruit leather trays to prevent the puree from oozing through the regular trays. Simply combine the fruit and optional sweetener in a blender and blend until smooth. Spread the puree on the fruit leather tray and dehydrate according to the time on your dehydrator. Scroll down for a helpful video that explains this process.

How to dehydrate fruit in the oven

Are you wondering how to dehydrate fruit in the oven, no worries, it’s easy! Simply slice the fruit into thin slices and place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 130-160F. Most ovens do not have this setting on them so it’s very helpful to have an oven thermometer to check the temperature. Place the fruit in the oven and check every hour, turning as needed until it is dry.

Dehydrating fruit times

These times are approximate. A lot will depend on how thinly you slice the fruit and how ripe it is.

• Plums, pears, peaches, bananas, apples – 6 hours
• Grapes and citrus peel – 8 to 10 hours
• Cherries, strawberries, apricots – 10 to 12 hours

Learning to make dehydrated fruit can be a fun DIY project for you and the kids. If you’re looking for ways to use up dehydrated fruit after you’ve made it check out these dehydrated fruit recipes. I use my apple rings in my Schnitz un Knepp recipe. Dried berries are great in homemade granola. Finally, learn how to dry blueberries.