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Food Dehydration - Step 3 - After Drying

Food Dehydration - Step 3 - After Drying

Dry your own fruits, vegetables and other foods

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After Drying (for fruit only)

1. Allow dried FRUIT (not vegetables) time to "condition": When dry, allow fruit to "condition" for four to 10 days before packaging for storage. The moisture content of home dried fruit should be about 20 percent. When the fruit is taken from the dehydrator, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among the pieces because of their size or their location in the dehydrator. Conditioning is the process used to equalize the moisture. It reduces the risk of mold growth. 
2. IF you sun-dried the fruit, you need to pasteurize it. See this page about pasteurization.
3. To condition the fruit, take the dried fruit that has cooled and: 
   • Pack it loosely in plastic or glass jars.
   • Seal the containers and let them stand for 7 to 10 days. The excess moisture in some pieces will be absorbed by the drier pieces.
   • Shake the jars daily to separate the pieces and check the moisture condensation. If condensation develops in the jar, return the fruit to the dehydrator for more drying.
4. After conditioning, package and store the fruit as described below.
    

Next: Post-drying treatments to prevent browning