Dehydrating food is a great way to make the food last longer. However, it is only possible if done in the right way. There are steps and equipment to be considered to do it successfully.
When it comes to dehydrating fruits and other foods, a dehydrator is a common machine being used. But if you don’t have one, you might be wondering whether you can use the oven instead.
Can You Dehydrate Fruit in the Oven?
You can dehydrate fruit in the oven. You can do it with vegetables too. Just cut the fruit into small slices and place them on the lined sheet pan, put the pan in the oven. Set the oven between 200-225 degrees Fahrenheit and leave it there for up to 6-8 hours or until the fruits are completely dehydrated.
This may surprise you because the oven is normally used for baking. When it comes to the dehydrating process, the common practice is to use a dehydrator machine.
Let’s not forget though that an oven is a versatile piece of equipment that can do many things. All you need is to try some experiments and see what else you can do with it.
How to Dehydrate Fruit in the Oven?
As mentioned, an oven can be turned into a food dehydrator. This means that you can use your regular oven to dehydrate foods especially fruits of your choice.
But how can you actually do it? What are the steps involved? Well, in this post, I will share with you the simple steps.
Steps for dehydrating fruit in the oven:
1. Make sure that the fruit you want to dehydrate is clean. Wash it thoroughly. My favorite to dehydrate is ripe fruit but not overly ripe.
2. Peel the fruit if it has tough and thick skin for example apricot, plum, banana, and mango. Slice them into about 1/8-inch and make sure to discard the stems, seeds, and cores if any. Smaller fruits such as grapes, blueberries, and other small fruits can be dehydrated whole.
3. Line the fruits on the lined sheet pan with a little space in between each slice. This prevents the slices from sticking to one another and also dehydrates the fruits evenly.
4. Slide the pan in the oven and bake the fruit at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Occasionally stir the fruit all the way through to dry it evenly. This process can take 6-8 hours depending on the water content of the fruit.
5. Cool the fruit before storing it in a storage container. If you plan to keep the dehydrated fruit for long, use an airtight container. You can store the dehydrated fruit in the refrigerator or in a cool and dry area.
What Temperature Do You Dehydrate Fruit in the Oven?
I mentioned this earlier but since many of my readers ask me this question over and over again, I will answer this question in this section.
You can dehydrate fruit in the oven to 200-225 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to have the baking pan lined with parchment paper to prevent the fruit from sticking to the pan.
When placing the fruits on the pan, make sure that the slices do not overlap. This will provide equal heat that will evenly dry the fruit slices. Bake the fruits for about 6-8 hours. Thin slices tend to dry faster.
How Do You Dehydrate Strawberries in the Oven?
Dehydrating strawberries in the oven is similar to dehydrating other fruits such as apples and mango. The only difference is that you don’t have to slice the strawberries if you don’t want to. However, what I found is that slicing strawberries in half allows them to dehydrate faster.
Employ the same process, just place the strawberries on the baking pan lined with parchment paper.
I recommend setting the oven temperature between 200-225 degrees Fahrenheit.
For better result, stir the strawberries for every 30 minutes until they have darkened color or until the edges dried. Usually this takes about 3-4 hours.
How Do You Dehydrate Oranges in the Oven?
Oranges are some of the fruits you can dehydrate in the oven. What you can do is to just slice the oranges into thinly about 1/8 to ¼ inches. This ensures that the oranges will be evenly dehydrated.
Once the oranges are sliced into equally thin slices, place them on the pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 200-225 degrees Fahrenheit. It will take up to 3-4 hours.
How Can You Tell If a Fruit is Dehydrated?
The fruit is already dehydrated when it becomes leathery and non-sticky. To make sure that it is dried, cut some pieces and see if the inside is still moist. If it is then it is not yet well dehydrated yet.
In that case, bring the fruit back to the oven and give it additional time to dry.
Is A Dehydrator Better Than an Oven?
When it comes to dehydrating food, a dehydrator in my opinion is better than an oven. This is because, although you can use an oven to dehydrate fruit and you’ll get the same result, a dehydrator is more energy efficient.
But in terms of usability and the outcome you want to achieve, both have the same capacity. It just that if you want to consume less electricity for the whole dehydrating process, choose a dehydrator.
I want to make things clear here. If you don’t have dehydrator machine, you can use your oven to dehydrate foods.
Final Thought
Can you dehydrate fruit in the oven? You can dehydrate fruit in the oven. This is the best option especially if you don’t have a dehydrator machine. Just turn the oven to the lowest temperature and you’re good to go.
If you are dehydrating fruits with thick skin or bigger fruits, just peel and slice them into smaller equal pieces. This will help dehydrate the fruit evenly.
Always set the oven to 200-225 degrees Fahrenheit. Then dehydrate the fruit for about 6-8 hours. Once done, store the fruit in an airtight container. There you go, you have my tips for dehydrating fruit in the oven.
