FOOD | VARIETIES BEST FOR | PREPARATION | APPROX. DRY | TEST FOR DONENESS |
| DRYING |
| TIME AT 140°F | AT MINIMUM DRY TIME |
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| (60°C) [HOURS]** |
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FRUIT |
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Apples* | Firm varieties: Graven | Wash, peel if desired, core and | 4 to 8 | Pliable to crisp. Dried |
| Stein, Granny Smith, | slice into ¹⁄₈" (3.0 mm) slices. |
| apples store best when |
| Jonathan, Winesap, Rome |
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| slightly crisp. |
| Beauty, Newton |
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Apricots* | Blenheim/Royal most | Wash, halve, and remove pits. | 18 to 24 | Soft and pliable |
| common. Tilton also good. |
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Bananas* | Firm varieties | Peel and cut into ¼" (6.0 mm) | 17 to 24 | Pliable to crisp |
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| slices. |
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Cherries | Lambert, Royal Ann, | Wash and remove stems. Halve | 18 to 24 | Pliable and leathery |
| Napoleon, Van or Bing | and remove pits. |
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Nectarines and | Freestone varieties | Halve and remove pits. Peeling is | 24 to 36 | Pliable and leathery |
Peaches* |
| optional but results in better- |
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| looking dried fruit. |
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Pears* | Bartlett | Peel, halve and core. | 24 to 36 | Soft and pliable |
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Pineapple | Fresh or canned | Wash peel and remove thorny | Canned: 14 to 18 | Soft and pliable |
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| eyes. Slice lengthwise and remove | Fresh: 12 to 16 |
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| the small core. Cut crosswise into |
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| ½" (12.0 mm) slices. |
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Orange and | Select | Wash well. Thinly peel the outer | 1 to 2 | Tough to brittle |
Lemon peel | Do not dry the peel of fruit | ¹⁄₁₆" to ¹⁄₈" (1.5 mm to 3.0 mm) of |
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| marked “color added.” | the peel. |
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VEGETABLES |
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Tomatoes | Plum, Roma | Halve, remove seeds. Place skin | 12 to 18 | Tough to crisp |
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| side up on rack. Prick skins. |
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Carrots | Danvers Half Long, | Do not use carrots with woody | 4 to 8 | Tough to brittle |
| Imperator, Red Cored | fiber or pithy core. Wash, trim tops |
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| Chantenay | and peel if desired. Slice |
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| crosswise of diagonally into |
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| ¼" (6.0 mm) slices. Steam blanch |
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| for 3 min. |
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Hot Peppers | Ancho, Anaheim | Wash, halve and seed. Prick skin | 4 to 6 | Pods should appear |
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| several times. |
| shriveled, dark red and |
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| crisp. |
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HERBS |
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Parsley, Mint, |
| Rinse in cold water. Pat dry with a | 1 to 3 | Brittle and crumbly |
Cilantro, Sage, |
| paper towel. Leave stems on until |
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Oregano |
| leaves are dry, then discard. |
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Basil |
| Cut leaves 3" to 4" (7.6 cm to | 2 to 5 | Brittle and crumbly |
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| 10.2 cm) from top of plant just as |
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| buds appear. Rinse leaves in cold |
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| water. |
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*Fruits requiring an antioxidant to avoid discoloration.
**12 Hour Off will not occur during drying functions.
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