DEHYDRATED STRAWBERRIES

Ideal for baking, snacking or serving with cereal, porridge or granola.

Ingredients for  DEHYDRATED STRAWBERRIES
	Yield: 80G
Strawberries*	1kg
*Use firm, ripe, tasty fruit

 

METHOD:

1.  Wash strawberries by soaking in a sink of water with a cap of vinegar to remove dirt. Hull strawberries and discard blemished fruit. Prepare firm, ripe, tasty strawberries by slicing 5mm (1/4 inch) thick. An egg slicer is a quick way to slice the strawberries. Weigh the prepared fruit.
2.  Arrange strawberry slices onto dehydrator trays, with room around each piece so it dries evenly. Dry on fruit setting until pliable and almost crisp, around 8-12 hours.
3.  Cool fruit to room temperature.
4.  Check dehydrated strawberry weight (to confirm water content) and check there is no moisture present. Strawberries have a water content of around 92%, so 1kg of prepared fresh strawberries will weigh approximately 80g when fully dehydrated.
5.  Store dehydrated strawberries in vacuum sealed bags or jars, at room temperature, or in the refrigerator or freezer if desired.
    
TIPS:
o    An egg slicer or fruit cutting gadget is ideal when drying lots of strawberries!
o    Dehydrate the strawberries longer then grind into strawberry powder and dehydrate for a further 1 hour. Strawberry powder can be kept for up to 1 year.
o    Dehydration time periods may vary – refer to your manual for directions.
        
FLAVOUR IDEAS
Add extra flavour to the prepared fruit by adding one or more of the following:
o    Balsamic Vinegar
o    Balsamic Vinegar + Black Pepper  
o    Black Pepper
o    Cinnamon
o    Honey
o    Lemon
o    Lime
o    Mint
o    Orange
o    Vanilla

SERVING IDEAS
Dried strawberries go well with these:
o    Apples
o    Blackberries
o    Blueberries
o    Coconut
o    Oranges
o    Peaches
o    Pineapple
o    Raspberries
o    Rhubarb
         
Author: Megan Radaich          
Image credit: Megan Radaich          
Publication: Strawberry Preserving Guide, available HERE