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■ Popping Backs: When drying fruit halves, especially
apricots, it has been suggested that popping the back
(“inside out”) will speed the drying time. This is true,
but it also results in the loss of the nutritional juices to
the bottom of the dehydrator. Instead, cut each half in
half again to give the end product more nutritional
value, brighter color, & faster reconstitution capabilities.
■ Ascorbic Acid (powdered vitamin C): use 3 tablespoons
per quart of water. Slice the fruit into the solution for 2
minutes, drain and place on trays to dry.
■ Checking: Some fruits have a natural protective wax
coating, such as figs, prunes, grapes, blueberries, cran-
berries, etc. To speed drying, it is necessary to pretreat
these fruits by dipping them into boiling water for 1 to 2
minutes, depending on the size and toughness of the
skin. This makes the skin more porous by removing the
natural wax coating and thereby speeds up the drying
time. Fast drying helps reduce natural loss. This
process is called checking because small lines appear
on the fruit skin and allow the moisture to escape. The
lines are too fine to be visible.
Pretreatment (optional)
Below are listed several optional methods of pretreatment.
You need not pretreat food in order to dry it. However, pre-
treatment often makes food look better, increases the shelf
life and can even enhance the nutritional value of some
foods. Experiment with both treated and untreated food in
your storage to see which will best suit your needs.
Remember, proper storage is critical to the quality of the
stored product whether treated or untreated.
■ Natural Predips: Use pineapple or lemon juice to
reduce browning. Slice fruit directly into juice. Remove
promptly (about 2 minutes) and place on trays. Fruits
may also be placed in honey, spices, lime or orange
juice, jello powders or sprinkled with coconut to give
them a snappy dried flavor. Use your imagination and
make your own flavor dip.
■ Sodium Bisulfite: Ask for food safe, (USP) grade only.
Dissolve 1tsp. of sodium bisulfite in 1qt. water. Prepare
small amounts of fruit and dip for 2 minutes in the solu-
tion. This helps prevent loss of Vitamin C and maintains
a bright color.
Food Dehydrator
7100 Instructions sgle pg 6/18/01 9:46 AM Page 9