OK, I'm not really going to write an ode about dried fruit. But I do come to sing its praises.

I've been a long time muncher of dried apricots (and diced in couscous and cereal and ...) but never took at look at the nutritional info. I was pleasantly surprised.

6 apricots give you:
• about 100 cals
• 13% of your potassium
• 12% of you dietary fiber
• 1g of protein
• 10% of your vitamin A
• 4% of your calcium
• 6% of your iron

Last night I re-stocked my supply, and picked up some dried peach halves as well.

3 peach halves give you
• about 110 cals
• 11% potassium
• 12% dietary fiber
• 2g protein
• 4% vitamin A
• 4% vitamin C
• 2% calcium
• 6% iron

Neither contain fat or cholesterol. But they do have sulphur dioxide to keep the color. I've seen the non-sulphured ones in the health food store. Only difference is that they're brownish.

Ok I'm done now. I just wanted to share this info, as one who is trying to work in some more servings of fruits and veggies.

I know I'm late chiming in to this, but I have to say. . .before I left town, I made some granola and used some dried fruits to give each bag a special "flavor". . . .one bag I added a little cinnamon & dried cranberries; another bag had (unsweetened) dried bananas & a sprinkling of sweetened coconut; and the last one (made for mom)had dried blueberries & cherries.

The bulk foods store nearby has dried everything, it seems, and I really enjoy looking at the different fruits & taking some home to try in all kinds of stuff.

D

I slice the apples (peel on) and place them single layer on a cookie sheet in a 200 oven for at least a few hours- may take longer- it depends how dry you like them. They shrink up and the flavors concentrate.
I have heard people use an even lower oven temp and leave them over night. I have never tried this, but think that it would work.

Ooh good idea Denise! I'm not too keen on dates, so I use dried sweetened cranberries and vanilla soymilk to sweeten up my cereal.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: grrlscout,

I started putting chopped dates in my cereal instead of sugar. It is about the same calories but I end up eating 18 grams of fiber a month that I didn't get with sugar.

My dh's brother and family have an organic farm on Kauai. (If you have ever been to Banana Joe's - you may have eaten their bananas.) They grow and dry bananas. I'm not sure how. You can get their email from www.julieohana.com Julie will probably tell you how she does it.

Denise

Thanks for all the info I may try the oven method for a few things - lack of freezer space is the main problem. Apples sound good and has anyone done banana chips.

Andrea

quote:

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Originally posted by Sandy:
A note about dehydrating-
I have done it in a low oven too. I do not have a dehydrator, but fin that a 200 oven does the trick. There is a fair amount of prep work, but I love to do apples and tomatoes.

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I LOVE dried apple chips. How do you make them?

A note about dehydrating-
I have done it in a low oven too. I do not have a dehydrator, but fin that a 200 oven does the trick. There is a fair amount of prep work, but I love to do apples and tomatoes.

I put dried fruit in a candy dish in the kitchen and my kids sneak it like they're sneaking candy. Pretty funny.

Thanks GrrlScout,

Figs are up there in fiber and calcium.

Denise

quote:

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Originally posted by Andrea:
Has anyone ever tried drying their own fruits or veggies with one of this dehydrators. If so how did it work, did you like it and would it be worth while for a single person. That means a single person that doesn't like to cook and isn't willing to invest a lot of prep time.

Andrea

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Andrea, I have done a lot of deydrating and really enjoy it, but it does require a lot of prep work. Cutting, taking seeds out, peeling when necessary, sometimes blanching (depending on what it is), and then depending on your dehydrator, rotating racks, rotating fruits and veggies from inside edges of racks to outside edges of racks. Then you need to have freezer space for your dehydrated items, because most things have enough moisture left in them to cause them to mold. I don't dehydrate anymore except for the occasional batch of homemade beef jerky, and mushrooms. I like to dehydrate mushrooms when i can get them on sale and keep them around for adding to soups, sauces, etc....dehydrated mushrooms don't need to be frozen, because you can get ALL the moisture out of them, and they don't mold.

Has anyone ever tried drying their own fruits or veggies with one of this dehydrators. If so how did it work, did you like it and would it be worth while for a single person. That means a single person that doesn't like to cook and isn't willing to invest a lot of prep time.

Andrea