Just the time for some dried fruit snacks
Quick and easy dried fruit snacks scream holiday to me! These recipes are perfect for this time of year and with the fall and winter seasons just around the corner, I’m all for switching things up with a combination of spices and fruits to create yummy seasonal snacks and treats.
A great alternative
Homemade quick and easy dried fruit snacks are a good alternative to junk food and prepackaged stuff from the grocery store. Not only is it healthier, but it’s also got none of the additives and mystery ingredients that you typically find in conventional store-bought snacks and treats.
The best fruits to use for these treats
While I’d love to say that every fruit makes for a delicious dried goody, that’s really not the case here. For the most part, you want to use produce that still keeps it’s integrity even when you dry them. Bananas, fresh apples, berries, apricots, etc make some of the best quick and easy dried fruit snacks.
Choosing and prepping your fruits (and veggies)
This is really a no-brainer! Select ripe fruits and berries because they usually have a nice level of sugar content. Avoid fruits and veggies that have very high water content and are mushy. Next, wash your produce in cold water being careful to remove any blemishes. Next, extract any pits or stones from stone fruits like peaches and nectarines. Finally, you want to remove any stems from your berries and then cut and slice fruits evenly so that they will dry uniformly.
For your vegetables, they first need to be blanched. I prefer the method steam blanching method because you lose fewer nutrients. Bring water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Remember, you’ll need the colander/ wire basket too. Loosely place your veggies in the pot’s steamer basket (water should be no more than 2 inches deep). The rule of thumb is to time your blanching to roughly half the cooking time as you would normally use.
Once they’re done, quickly remove them from the heat and give them a quick cold water bath (or briefly run under cold water), pat dry, and place on a parchment sheet.
How to dry fruits and veggies using your oven
While a food dehydrator is one of the best methods to use (much faster ), your home oven can still get the time done and it’s way cheaper! To maintain the natural color of your snacks you can either soak them in lemon juice for ten mins or pray them with a mixture of ascorbic acid powder and water (vitamin C).
Before you start the drying process, set your oven between 130-160℉ and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Next spread out your slices in a single layer and rotate in the oven every two hours until dry. You’ll know they’re dry when they become a little leathery and are nice and flexible.
General dry times
The drying time for most of these ranges anywhere from 6-12 hours! Peaches, bananas, and apples need about six hours to dry while most berries range from 8-12 hours (i.e. cherries need 6-8 and strawberries to need 12 hours). All you need is a little bit of patience and you’ll have delicious, healthy snacks at the end of the process.
Supplies you’ll need
- Ascorbic acid powder (vitamin C) or lemon juice (enough to soak all your fruit).
- Parchment paper; I like to use Reynolds wrap parchment paper (although generic works too but not the same quality).
- Silicon baking mat (place on top of fruit slices so they dry flat)
- Deep pot with a tight-fitting lid (this one has everything you need!)
- 1 wire basket (you can skip this if you already have a pot that has a steamer insert)
- Your fruits and veggies selection.
A note on food preservation
These quick and easy dried fruit snacks are also a great way to reduce food waste as well as preserve seasonal fruits and veggies. It’s also good for the wallet too! You not only save money but, you’re still eating healthy too. These snacks might be dried, but they are also packed with nutrients. For ideas on this and how it can help you really stretch your grocery budget, read Quick and Easy Food Storage Tips.
About the author
Tonye Tariah, Holistic Health Strategist and founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog. She helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her belief is that “the cookie-cutter method only works for cookies”. This means that she helps each woman in a way that is unique to each woman. By doing this, she’s better able to help them transform their lives from the inside out. Her ultimate goal is to help women become healthy and empowered through the transformative self-care journey!
