Fruit Drying Method

Thank you to Arah's mom for helping out with our Canning/Food Preservation class.  Here is her recipe and some pictures!  (Isn't she great?!)

Drying Apricots


Gather materials:

• 2 bowls

• Blender

• Screen trays

• Colander

• Knife

• Trash can

• Trays

• Kitchen parchment

• (Freezer bags)



Gather ingredients:

• Washed apricots

• Fruit Fresh

• Apricot nectar, pineapple juice or orange juice

• Sweetener if desired (I use dried sugar cane juice and/or stevia)



Procedure:

• Fill one bowl with a can or carton of juice

• Add ¼ cup Fruit Fresh

• Sweeten to taste, if desired. (I use ¼ cup dried cane juice and 1/8 cup steiva)

• Place colander over second bowl

• Pit and half apricots

• Place in bowl of juice, stir

• Move apricots to strainer in bowl

• Dump on screen/s and or in blender for leather



For leather:

• Pour ½ cup of juice from second bowl in full blender and blend until smooth

• Pour onto tray covered with kitchen parchment (about ¼ to 1/3 inch thick)

• Dry in oven preheated to 170 degrees or in dryer

• To dry later, pour into freezer bags and freeze



For dried apricots:

• Place on screen, inside towards source of heat and dry in dryer or sun

• Or place on kitchen parchment covered tray and dry in oven preheated to 170 degrees



Note: If fruit accidently gets too dry, place in plastic bag with two halves of bread until bread goes dry and fruit goes soft. You can freeze leftover juice for popsicles.