Dried plums are one of the common fruit that is loved by almost every family member. You can use it for adding some tasty sweet-tart flavor to your recipe, or you may also consume it straight away as a healthy snack.
Dried plums are an amazing source of dietary fiber and carbohydrates that helps in the proper working of our digestive system. Moreover, you can use it in cookies, muffins, snacks, granola, and bread for more yummy flavor. Dehydrated plums are also known as prunes that you can prepare easily prepare at your home. Do you know how?
Preparing the dried plums is quite easy with the help of the food dehydrator. You only need this dryer machine and some ingredients for getting the drying work done. It decreases the content of water in the plums with the help of air flow and heat. After removing the moisture safely and efficiently, there are no chances of bacteria growth in the plums, and you can preserve it quickly for a long time.
In the below article, we will guide you step by step on how to dry plums in a dehydrator. Moreover, we will also provide you some useful info about the dried plums that will help you in enhancing your knowledge more.
So, let’s begin!
List of ingredients required for drying plums in a food dehydrator
Below are the essential things that you will need for drying plums in the food dehydrator:
- Food dehydrator
- Plums
- Sharp knife
- Water
- Airtight jar
Step by Step instructions for drying plums in the food dehydrator
Below are the essential steps that you need to follow for drying plums in the food dehydrator:
Step 1: Pick the fresh plums
Firstly, pick fresh and high-quality plums from the garden. Do not choose the overripe or bruised plums.
Step 2: Cut the plums in halves
Now wash the picked plums and cut them in half with the help of the sharp knife. Don’t forget to take off the pit and the stem.
Step 3: Place it inside the food dehydrator
Place all the half-cut plums over the trays of the food dehydrator. You may place them near to each other if there is a lot of plums, but they should not overlap each other at all. The overlapping can impact the right air flow and also decelerates the time of drying.
Step 4: Turn ON the food dehydrator
Now turn ON the food dehydrator after placing the plums inside to begin the process of drying. Set the machine’s temperature at 115 degrees F if you have a conventional food dehydrator, but if you have a food dehydrator with hi-tech features then, you can set it at the 145 degrees F.
Step 5: Keep in mind the plums drying time
The drying time required for plums might vary due to different factors like fruit thickness, water in plums, altitude, and temperature. However, on average, the plums will get dehydrated between 8 hours to 14 hours in the dehydrator.
Step 6: Check the drying status of plums
During the process of food drying, check the drying status of the food more often. When the upside of the plums gets dried, turn them so that they get released quickly. Also, if the plums stick to the trays then, it means they are moist, and you have to dry it for a few more hours. Some halves pieces of the plums may get dehydrate at diverse point of time.
Step 7: Check the dried plums consistency
After completing the drying process of the plums, cool them down. With the help of your fingers, check its consistency. If you feel they are dry in touching, then, it means they done.
Step 8: Storing and preserving the dried plums
Once all the dried plums get cool down, store them in the airtight jars loosely and kept it at the room temperature. The pantry should be dry and cool. You have to keep in mind to shake the airtight jar one time daily for a week so that the residual moisture gets distributed evenly in the dried plums.
Moreover, if there is any condensation in the airtight jar, then, it means that you need to dehydrate the plums again in the drying machine. The shelf life of the dried plums is 6 to 12 months approximately.
Benefits of the dried plums
The following are the health benefits of the dried plums that they provide to our body:
- It is a good source of antioxidants, fiber, and comprises psyllium that is beneficial for digestive health.
- If you consume the dried plums daily, then, it will have a significant impact on the health of your bones and might also reverse the process of bone loss.
- It is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Folate, Vitamin K, Choline, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron traces and fluoride.
- It also comprises of Omega-6 fatty acids.
Which type of plums is best for making dried plums in the food dehydrator?
All kind of plums is best for making dried plums until you dehydrate them in the right way. The prune plums from Italy provide you the sweet-tart flavor that is dried naturally, and they are tarter than the traditional oval shape plums whereas the damson plums offer you bit tarter taste.
Drying the European plums in the food dehydrator makes them pliable. They look like tiny fruit leather pieces after getting dried completely. They might appear odd to you but trust us they will offer you delicious flavor once you have them.
Final word
The dried plums are an incredible snack that you make feel full for a long time, and moreover, it also loved by almost all the people on earth. You can quickly process it in the food dehydrator with very less manual effort. Besides being a tasty snack, it offers numerous health benefits to your body like carbs, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. The dried plums can be used in cookies, muffins, snacks, granola, and bread for getting the more delicious flavor.
In the above article, we have shown you the step by step method of dehydrating plums in the food dehydrator. All the steps are easy to understand and follow. Furthermore, you need very fewer ingredients for preparing the dried plums in the dehydrator in comparison to the other recipes.
We hope that now you know how to dry plums in a dehydrator. If you still have any doubt about the drying process of the plums then, please share it with us soon. We will surely solve it with more clarity and info.