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A bowl of dehydrated cherries on a wooden counter.

How to Dehydrate Fruit (Blueberries, Cherries, Grapes, Raspberries & Blackberries)

Melissa Norris
Learn how to dehydrate fruit at home. This method will save you hours of time when dehydrating fruit.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 day 2 hours
Total Time 1 day 2 hours 5 minutes
Course fruit, Snack
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Dehydrator

Ingredients
  

  • Fruit
  • Water for rinsing

Instructions
 

  • Rinse berries and remove any twigs, leaves, etc.
  • Check berries by either freezing for a few hours, poking each berry with a pin, needle or paperclip, or quickly blanching in hot water.
  • After you've checked your berries, spread them out on your dehydrating trays. Try to put berries of similar size on the same trays.
  • Turn on your dehydrator to 135 degrees Fahrenheit or the fruit setting if it has one.
  • Check on your berries or fruit after 12 hours and rotate your trays.
  • Your fruit is done when it's shriveled and slightly tacky/sticky. Do the "dry test" mentioned in the notes section below.
  • Store dehydrated berries in an airtight container in a dark cool place for optimal shelf life.

Notes

  • For sticky berries or fruit, I highly recommend the non-stick mats for easy clean-up. You want to the berries or fruit to be evenly spaced so they dehydrate at the same rate.
  • Even with "checking", fruit takes quite a while to fully dehydrate. My cherries took 28 hours. My small blueberries were done at about 24 hours, whereas the larger berries took 36 hours. This is still better than three days though!
  • Dry Test - To know if berries are dry, do the "dry test". Place a handful of still-warm berries into an airtight container (sealed Mason jar or sealed plastic baggie). Let them sit for 10-20 minutes and check the sides of the container. If you see any moisture or condensation on the jar or bag, the fruit isn't dry and needs to continue dehydrating.
Keyword Dehydrated fruit
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