How to Dehydrate Fruit

Today I’m going to share how to dehydrate fruit. Whether you are need cocktail garnish or are crafting a holiday wreath, dehydrated fruit is easy to make. And you DON’T NEED a fancy dehydrator–just your oven (and 4-6 hours)!

What is dehydrated fruit? It’s when most of the water content has been removed from that fruit. You can eat dehydrated fruit. Think about the dried fruit in a trail mix. They’re also great for those holiday wreaths. Dehydrated fruit has a shelf life of up to 6 months! Be sure to store the fruit in an airtight container.

I’m in need of some dehydrated fruit to use as garnish in cocktails. You’d want to use dehydrated fruit in a cocktail when you don’t want to add flavor. Dehydrated fruit is added for decoration. I went to buy dehydrated fruit and did not want to spend $20.

How to dehydrate fruit

I’m making dehydrated lemons, limes, mandarins, and apples. If you have an oven-safe cooling rack that can fit into a baking sheet, that’s the ideal setup. Here’s the one I have and I love it! If you just have a baking sheet, no problem! Lay the sliced fruit on parchment paper on the baking sheet.

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Slice fruit into 1/4 inch pieces. Thicker pieces will take longer.
3. Lay your fruit on the cooling rack nesting in the baking pan or the parchment paper in the baking pan.
4. Place in the oven and bake for about 4-6 hours.
5. If you are not using the cooling rack, flip your slices every 30-60 minutes. You may need longer than 4-6 hours—depending on the fruit and the thickness of the cuts.
6. Monitor the fruit as you may not need the full 4-6 hours. My limes, lemons, and mandarins took about 2-3 hours. You’ll know when the fruit is done once it starts to brown. The fruit will still be pliable. Once it comes out of the oven, let the fruit cool completely. This is when you’ll notice the fruit will start to firm up.
7. Once it’s completely cooled, store it in an airtight container for up to 6 months (but check on the fruit for signs of deterioration). Use this fruit to as garnish in cocktails, use in crafting projects, or depending on the fruit, throw it into a trail mix!