Fruit leather is a sheet of pureed fruit that has been dried. Fresh fruits that make excellent leathers are apples, apricots, berries, sweet cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples, and plums. An electric dehydrator is the easiest way to dry fruit leather; drying can also be done in the oven. To hold the puree for drying, cover a drying tray or baking sheet with plastic wrap, extending it over the edges (silicone baking mats may also be used). Make sure the baking sheet or tray has edges to prevent spilling the puree. Some electric dehydrators come with special plastic liners for trays for making leathers. Keep in mind that fruit will become sweeter once it is dried. One cup of puree will make 2 to 3 servings; 2 cups of puree will cover a 12 × 17-inch baking sheet. Please read Drying Fruits and Vegetables.
Wash, peel (if not using a food mill), trim, and seed or pit:
- Ripe or slightly overripe fruit
Place the fruit in a saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat, until a candy thermometer registers 190°F. Let cool thoroughly.
Puree in a blender, food processor, or food mill; strain, if necessary, to make a fine, smooth, fairly liquid puree. Add:
- ½ teaspoon ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or 2 tablespoons lemon juice per each 2 cups fruit or to taste
If the fruit needs sweetening or additional flavor, add:
- (1 to 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, honey, sugar, or lemon or orange juice per each 2 cups fruit, to taste)
Artificial sweeteners can also be used. Spread the puree evenly on the prepared tray or baking sheet ⅛ inch thick in the center and ¼ inch thick around the edges (this is to prevent the edges from drying out too quickly and cracking). Dry in the dehydrator or oven at 135°F. If using an oven, check the temperature periodically with an oven thermometer so it does not get too hot. If necessary, the oven can be turned off for short intervals to reduce the temperature.
Leathers take from 4 to 10 hours to dry; test frequently for dryness. The fruit is ready when the sheet is leathery and not sticky. Touch it in several places—there should be no indentation left when you lift your finger. The leather should peel easily from the plastic wrap or tray liner. While it is still warm, you may roll it up jelly-roll fashion in the plastic wrap. If desired, use scissors to cut the roll into serving pieces. Let cool completely, then condition as directed, checking for condensation. Pack in airtight containers and store in a cool, dark, dry place; for longer storage, refrigerate or freeze.
DRYING CHILE PEPPERS
Chile peppers keep well when dried and are handy for use in many of your favorite dishes. If you know them to be especially spicy, it is best to wear gloves. Please read Drying Fruits and Vegetables.
To dry green chile peppers, wash and dry. Peel the peppers by cutting a shallow slit in the outer skin of each and rotate over a gas flame for 6 to 8 minutes, broil, or scald in boiling water. Then peel and split the chiles; remove the seeds and stem. Place on dryer trays and dry in a dehydrator or on a baking sheet in the oven at 140°F until crisp, brittle, and medium green. Cool the peppers completely, then condition as directed, checking for condensation. Pack in airtight containers and store in a cool, dark, dry place; for longer storage, refrigerate or freeze.
To dry red chile peppers, wash and dry. These peppers may be left whole if small; otherwise, slice ¼ inch thick. Place on dryer trays and dry in a dehydrator or oven at 125°F until dark red and leathery. This may take 12 to 24 hours. Cool the peppers completely, then condition as directed, checking for condensation. Pack in airtight containers and store in a cool, dark, dry place; for longer storage, refrigerate or freeze.
DRYING TOMATOES
Please read Drying Fruits and Vegetables.
Steam or dip tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds so the skins crack. Immediately place in ice water and slip the skins off. Slice crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds. For grape or cherry tomatoes, do not remove their skins, and simply cut them in half.
Place on dryer trays and dry in a dehydrator or oven at 155°F until leathery or brittle. This may take 6 to 24 hours.
Cool the tomatoes completely, then condition as directed, checking for condensation. Pack in airtight containers and store in a cool, dark, dry place; for longer storage, refrigerate or freeze.
DRYING HERBS AND SEEDS
Please read Drying Fruits and Vegetables. Herbs, as a category, are the easiest and most rewarding ingredient to grow. Drying extends the use of annual herb plants so that they may be used year-round. For hardy perennials like rosemary, chives, and bay leaf, drying will enable you to use them in seasonings and spice blends. The seeds, pods, or fruit of some common plants—coriander, mustard seed, juniper, and fennel, to name a few—are relatively easy to harvest from a garden or isolated, unpolluted parts of the countryside.
As with vegetables and fruits, some herbs and seeds dry exceptionally well, and others do not. Generally speaking, resinous and low-moisture herbs dry better. Dried rosemary, bay laurel, and thyme, for instance, retain more of their flavor than dried basil and parsley (let alone cilantro). Outliers, like dill, have an assertive flavor, and their frilly shape dries quickly.
To harvest herbs, see here.
To harvest seeds and pods, wait until they are mature and beginning to dry on the branch, but before they start to burst open (the weather should be sunny). The day before harvesting, hose off the seeds and branches well. At midmorning the next day—when any dew has evaporated, but the temperature is still fairly cool—cut off the branches or stems the seeds are attached to, trimming off any browned leaves and stems.
If you have a dry room with an ambient temperature between 70°F and 90°F, you may loosely tie seeds and low-moisture herbs like rosemary and oregano together into small, well-ventilated bunches. Place each bunch upside down inside a paper bag punctured with air holes, tie the neck of the bag tight with string, and hang the bag, with the leaves or seeds facing down, in a warm, airy place until dry. The bag keeps light from discoloring the leaves and flowers, keeps dust off, and catches any seeds that may drop. Do not try this with high-moisture herbs like basil, mint, and tarragon, which have a tendency to grow mold during the slow drying time.
As with fruits and vegetables, the most efficient and convenient way to dry large quantities of herbs and seeds is with an electric food dehydrator. Place the sprigs or seeded branches in a loose layer on the drying trays. If the trays have a fine enough mesh to catch the seeds, you may hasten their drying by stripping the seeds off first and spreading them out in a single layer. Set the dehydrator to 95°F for herbs or 105°F for seeds. Leaves should be crisp and ready to crumble; seeds and seed pods should be hard when pressed with a thumbnail.
Small quantities of herbs may also be dehydrated very quickly in a microwave oven.
To dry herbs in a microwave, spread a paper towel on a plate, lay the herb sprigs or leaves in one layer, and place another paper towel on top. Microwave for 1 minute, then rotate and redistribute the herbs on the towel. Microwave them further in 15-second intervals until they are crisp and ready to crumble, turning and redistributing them as you go. We do not recommend oven-drying herbs, as it is difficult to keep the temperature low enough.
To test herbs and spices for dryness, let them cool completely and then transfer to a tightly sealed glass jar. Wait a few hours, then check for condensation. If any appears, dry further. If the herbs or seeds are straight from the garden and you suspect they may harbor insects or their eggs, freeze the sealed jar for 48 hours.
Store dried herbs and spices in tightly closed glass jars in a cool, dark, dry place. Herbs will taste best within 6 months of drying; seeds will last considerably longer. Should they show signs of insect activity, discard them. Dried herbs and spices retain their flavor best when crumbled or ground just before using. For more on using herbs, see here. To toast and grind spices, see here.
DRYING JERKY
High in protein and lightweight, jerky is the original backpacking food—as well as a satisfying, flavor-packed snack for those on the go. Of course, the convenience and concentrated flavor of jerky comes with a price: You will end up with only one-quarter to one-half (by weight) of the amount of meat you started with. Luckily, the best cuts for jerky making are the leaner, cheaper ones. (Fatty, highly marbled cuts of meat turn rancid much more quickly.)
An electric dehydrator is required for safely making jerky at home. Though not impossible, oven-drying jerky takes up to 3 times as long. Additionally, the oven must be able to maintain a consistent temperature between 145°F and 155°F. If the oven runs too hot, the outside of the jerky will develop a crust and cause case-hardening. If the oven consistently dips below this temperature range, the meat may spoil instead. An instant-read thermometer capable of accurately reading the temperature of thin foods is also an ideal piece of equipment for ensuring safety.
Raw meats can be contaminated with microorganisms that cause disease. There have been several notable outbreaks involving Salmonella and E. coli bacteria in home-dried jerky. Pork and game meats may also harbor Trichinella parasites. In order to reduce the risk of these dangerous organisms, jerky must be brought to an internal temperature of 160°F (or 165°F for poultry), but it is important to do it in such a way as to prevent case-hardening. One of two methods must be used: Simmer meat strips in a marinade for several minutes before placing them on drying racks. Or, after the meat strips have been dried, transfer the strips to a baking sheet and cook them in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes. Which one you choose depends on personal preference. When the strips are heated in a marinade before drying, the result is a more tender jerky. Baking the dried jerky will result in a classic, chewy texture.