The orchard called and said peaches were ready for picking, and wanted to know if I would like to place an order. I love small town local people you get a call if you’re a regular customer. Of course I said yes, and would take a half bushel. That’s just enough for our family to eat and I did do a little dehydrating. As you know I start school this week and thought dehydrated peaches would make a good snack to keep in my backpack. By the way 17 dehydrated peaches fit into one quart jar. I like to keep my things in glass containers I think food takes on the taste of plastic, but maybe it’s just me.
The peaches I purchased are organic so all I did was give them a good rinsing before I started cutting them. I quarter the peaches, remove the stone, and then cut each quarter into four additional slices. I also keep the skin on, it would be too much work to try and peel them. I really like them to be all natural so I also don’t add anything to the peaches. The ones you buy in the store have a chemical on them to help keep the color . Believe me you don’t need any of that stuff, who cares if they’re a little darker after being dehydrated.
Sometimes not all the slices make it to the dehydrator, I tend to nibble while I work. I randomly place the peach slices on the dehydrator racks and dehydrate for 48 hours. The whole house smells so good. I do rotate the racks halfway through the process, I notice my machine tends to dry the bottom racks faster than the top. I just use a cheap $20 dehydrator to get the job done. I do believe you can dehydrate in the oven too if this is easier for you.
I did this last fall with the Honeycrisp apples and I loved them. I did it in my oven but a dehydrator would be easier I think. I never thought about doing peaches. What a great idea!
Ann I always do apples to and love them. My kids eat them up. I have to hide a few for myself sometimes.
You amaze me with your talents.
I don’t think I have ever dried of canned anything, but come winter when the blizzards hit your area, you will have a pantry full of goodness.
Awesome idea. I have never dehydrated anything before. How much do the fruit shrink when they are dehydrated ? About half their size ?