Fruit and Vegetables

Select fruit that is firm and just ripe. Melons and citrus fruit, whose fragrant flesh consists mostly of water, are not good candidates for drying as the finished product is too bland; blackberries and raspberries tend to be too seedy to be palatable when dried.

Peel the fruit if necessary (berries may be left whole) and cut it into fairly thin pieces. The more cut surface exposed to the air, the more moisture can evaporate. Cut away any bruised patches. To prevent pale fruit from darkening by oxidation, soak it in a solution of ascorbic acid and water, allowing 1 ½ tsp acid to 1 cup/250 ml water for apples, or half that amount for peaches, nectarines and pears. A sweet sugar and honey solution may be used instead: dissolve 1 cup/200 g sugar in 3 cups/750 ml water, then add 1 cup/250 ml honey. Fruit dried with honey produces a candied effect. Do not soak fruit for more than one hour as it will absorb too much moisture and resist drying.