Dried peaches are a fantastic snack that you can consume directly or along with the other dehydrated fruits. It becomes more delicious when you add to it to the granola or oatmeal.
Besides its delicious flavor, dehydrated peaches also provide so many health benefits to our body too. It is quite rich in minerals, vitamins and valuable plant compounds. It also helps in digestion and improving the health of heart and skin. Drying peaches in the dehydrator is quite an easy process. However, some of you who are new to the dehydrator machine might not know how to dry peaches in a dehydrator.
So, in the below article, we are going to tell you about the process of drying the peaches in a dehydrator in a very simple way. In addition to this, we will also share with you some valuable info about drying the peaches that will enhance more your knowledge about the fruit.
So, let’s have a look!
What is the difference between cling-stone peaches and the freestone peaches?
Before picking the peaches for drying, you should know that there are two types of peaches that you can find in the market:
1. Cling stone peaches
These types of peaches grips towards the stony pit and are tougher to detach from the pit. You might have to expurgate the pit from the flesh of the peach to separate it. Usually, these peaches are reaped initially in the peach season. The jam makers love to use them as they are more flavourful and sweeter than the free stone peaches.
2. Free stone peaches
These peaches get separate naturally from the pit after slicing them off. They reaped between in August and September. It mostly preferred by the home canners. It needs very less effort than the cling stone peaches.
List of Essential Things Required for Drying Peaches in a Dehydrator
The following are some vital things that you will need for drying peaches:
1. Food dehydrator
2. Fresh ripe peaches
3. Cold water
4. 1 big pot for boiling water
5. A knife
6. 1 spoon
7. Colander
8. Airtight jar or vacuum pack
Step By Step Instruction for Dehydrating Peaches in a Food Dehydrator
You have to follow the below step by step instructions for drying the peaches quickly in the food dehydrator:
Step 1: Pick the right peaches
The peaches that you picked for drying process should not be green in color. If they are green then, before beginning the drying process let them get ripen at the room temperature. You should keep in mind that the fresh peaches are more flavourful and you will get the tastier dried version of it.
Step 2: Blanching the Peaches
After picking the peaches, you have to boil water in the big size pot at high heat. Now, with the help of the knife’s tip cut a tiny shape of “X” at the peach’s bottom. After that, put the fruit inside the boiling water. Take out the peaches from the water after 1 minute with the help of a slotted spoon and place it in the big size bowl. Don’t do anything in a hurry and cool down the peaches first so that you can handle them comfortably.
Step 3: Peeling the peaches
The process of blanching let you take off the skins of the peaches easily by hand. You can also use a knife for the peeling. Discard or compost the fruit skins and place the peeled fruit in the acidulated water’s large bowl. The acidulated water can be prepared by adding 1½ tablespoons of vinegar into the 1 quart of water. This water process benefits in decreasing the problem of dried peaches discoloration. The peaches that you dried at home do not have so much bright color that store-bough dehydrated peaches possess.
Step 4: Slice the Peaches
If you are using the freestone peaches then, during the slicing use the knife nearby the peach’s circumference. Its splits must be stress-free to cut separately. Throw away the pits. Cut the peaches into the thick slices of 1/8 to ¼ inches and place them inside the acidulated water again.
Some of you might be using the clingstone peaches whose flesh from the pit is quite stress-free to remove with the knife. You have to cut its slices with the thickness of 1/8 to 1/4-inch of the pits and place them inside the acidulated water again. Don’t forget to throw away the pits.
Step 5: Drain the Peaches
As soon as you peeled off, pitted and sliced the entire peaches, put all of them inside a colander. It will help you in draining off the excess water from the peaches that you submerged in the water earlier.
Step 6: Put the Peach Slices on Trays of the Dehydrator and Dehydrate
Place all the slices of the peaches over the trays of the dehydrator trays. There should be at least a ½ inches of space in the middle of the wedges. After that, set the temperature of the dehydrator at 135 degrees F. The machine will take around 20 to 36 hours for drying all the slices completely. However, the drying time is also affected by the thickness of the slices. The dried peaches might be somewhat leathery or pliable to touch.
Step 7: Cool the Dehydrated Peaches
Without cooling down the peaches, you cannot tell surely whether the peaches are wholly dehydrated or not. So, after the completion of the drying process, open the dehydrator and take out the peaches from it. Cool them for around 20 to 30 minutes and after that try to break one piece in half for checking. If there is no moisture visible on the surface then, it means that the drying process done correctly.
Step 8: Storing the Dried Peaches
Sometimes even if we dried out the peaches correctly, certain residual moisture left behind that we can’t feel. So, to avoid the problem of mold, you should store them in the glass jar. If you see any condensation inside it then, it means the fruit is not dehydrated perfectly, and you have to put them inside the dehydrator machine again for drying a few hours. After that, store the dried peaches in the airtight jar or vacuum seal packs for the long shelf life. But don’t forget to keep them away from direct sunlight and heat.
Uses of the Dehydrated Peaches
There are so many uses of the dehydrated peaches, such as:
- You can cut them into the pieces of ¼ inches and include them to the cookies, muffins, granola, hot oatmeal, and trail mix.
- You can carry it on your camping, hiking or trekking trips as healthy and nutritive appetizers.
- It is also useful as the survival food because this dried fruit is easy to carry, nutrient dense and lightweight.
Why Should We Dehydrate Peaches in the Food Dehydrator Instead of Canning Method?
There are numerous benefits of drying peaches in the dehydrator instead of doing the canning:
- Stress-free to Prepare
You have to know the skill of canning the peaches as it is done cautiously. Or else, the outcome might be devastating. On the other hand, dehydrating the peaches is quite stress-free, mainly if you are a beginner for the dehydrator’s usage.
- Storing is easy
During the drying process of peaches in the dehydrator, the water eradicated from the fruit, and it becomes lightweight and needs very less space for storing. On the other hand, the peaches do not turn lightweight for storing after the canning method.
- Remains for Longer time
After the canning of the peaches, you have to use them in one year. If you freeze them in the vacuum seal pack after canning then, also you have to use them in less than six months period. Now, on the other hand, the dehydrated peaches can last for several years of you dried and stored them properly.
- More Nutrition
The peaches that dried in the food dehydrator machine have more fiber and nutrients than the fresh or canned peaches variety. The dehydrated peaches help in your food digestion and also make you feel full for a long time.
Final Word!
Dehydrated peaches are not only a portable and tasty snack but also a healthy food to eat. You can include it in many recipes for increasing their flavor and nutrition. If you cannot get the fresh peaches in the market then, you might also use the canned peaches for drying the dehydrator machine but don’t forget to skip the step of blanching process. You have to rinse the canned peaches under tap water for removing the extra syrup and then use them for drying.
After reading the above info, we hope that now you are completely aware of “how to dry peaches in a dehydrator.” If you find any difficulty in understanding the process of drying peaches then, do let us know. We will surely sort out all your doubts and queries.
Don’t forget to share this article with more and more people who do not know much about drying the peaches in the dehydrator.