Tips for drying apples, grapes, peaches, and pears

Drying fruit is a time-honoured method. In general, use fully matured fruit for drying; immature fruit dries without flavour and may deteriorate in storage. Here's a simple guide to get you started:

The following fruits benefit from an ascorbic acid dip — this helps restore some of the vitamin C that gets lost during the drying process.

• Dip the fruit slices or pieces in a solution made up of 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of ascorbic acid dissolved in one litre (one quart) of water.

• Drying apples in a dehydrator or a very slow oven is better than drying in the sun.
• Select a fairly white-fleshed and strongly flavoured variety.
• Peel, core and cut into uniform-sized slices.
• Dip in ascorbic acid solution.
• To prevent discolouration, put in a cold sugar-salt solution (five millilitres, or one teaspoon, of salt and five millilitres, or one teaspoon, of sugar in two litres, or eight cups, of water).
• Dry indoors.

• Halve apricots or nectarines, remove stones, dip in solution then place "cup" upwards on trays.
• Dry outdoors or indoors, cup side up.

• Best grapes for drying are 'White Muscatel' and 'Waltham Cross.'
• Dip them for a few seconds in boiling water to break skins then dip in solution.
• Dry outdoors.

• Halve peaches, remove stones, dip in solution then place "cup" upwards on trays.
• Peaches can be dried outdoors in the sun or indoors in a dehydrator or very slow oven.
• Fully dry peach halves should have a springy feel and no sign of moisture when squeezed.

• Pears are best picked green and allowed to ripen in a box stored in a cool dark place before being prepared for drying.
• Peel pears, halve or quarter then dip in solution.
• To prevent discolouration put in a cold sugar-salt solution (five millilitres, or one teaspoon, of salt and five millilitres, or one teaspoon, of sugar in two litres, or eight cups, of water).
• Like apples, they are best dried by the quicker indoor methods.

Now you know everything you need to start drying your favourite fruits. Keep this handy guide in mind so you can store dried fruit and make your own trail mix or other healthy snack-food.

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