How to Make Dehydrated Citrus
Learn how easy it is to make your own dehydrated citrus fruit at home. It’s really a two step process.
Step one, slice. Step two, dry. It is that simple.
I’ve seen dried lemons and limes used in herbal teas. Dried oranges look so pretty with cranberries as Christmas decorations.
I always wondered how to make dehydrated citrus, but thought it would be a complicated process. I did some investigation recently and learned, nothing is farther from the truth.
Variations:
You can dehydrate any citrus fruit using this method. Grapefruit, blood oranges and tiny key limes will dehydrate the same as regular oranges, lemons and limes.
How to use Dehydrated Citrus:
I plan to use my dehydrated citrus fruits in herbal tea blends. I can’t wait to mix up a summer blend of white tea, some lavender and a sprinkle of mint.
You can use slices of dehydrated citrus as decoration on your next white cake or float them in a fruit punch.
Tips for making Dehydrated Citrus:
The biggest tip I have for you – make your slices as thin and as even as possible.
The best knife to use for slicing citrus fruit is one with a serrated edge. The sharper your knife, the easier and cleaner your slices will be.
How much drying time does it take to make dehydrated citrus?
That question, friends, is one for the ages. There are many variables that factor in to the length of drying time.
- Thickness of slices – of course, thinner will dry faster.
- Relative humidity in your house – different seasons have more or less moisture in my area.
- Temperature setting – recommended setting is between 125 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Mine was set at 131 degrees. If your oven won’t set lower than 200 degrees, you’ll want to watch the time frame.
- Fan / Air movement – most dehydrators have a built in fan which moves air around the fruit. Ovens typically do not.
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Dehydrate Citrus Recipe
Ingredients:
Lime, Lemon and Orange.
Recipe Directions:
Slice fruit evenly. Place in dehydrator and set on low temperature.
Alternately, place on wire rack in oven set on lowest setting.
Dehydrated Citrus
Preserve your citrus fruit by drying. Use the dried fruit for decorating, in teas or rehydrate and add to juices.
Ingredients
- 1 Lime
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Orange
Instructions
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Slice your citrus fruits evenly, into 1/4 inch rounds.
Using a Dehyrator
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Layer citrus rounds on trays, make sure they are not overlapping or touching. and insert to your dehydrator.
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Temperature setting = 125 – 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Timer setting = 10 – 16 hours. Begin checking dryness at 10 hours, every hour or two until completely dehydrated.
Using the Oven
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Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Place a wire rack in a cookie sheet pan.
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Place your fruit rounds on the wire rack, so they are not overlapping or touching.
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Set cookie sheet with fruit in oven. Bake at 200 degrees for 10-14 hours.
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Check the fruit every hour, beginning at 6 hours.
Recipe Notes
Some slices of your citrus may become dehydrated faster than other slices. As you are testing the dehydrated slices, remove completely dried slices.
Storage: After slices are completely cooled, store in air tight containers.
Approximate Nutritional Information:
Servings Per Recipe: 1, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 86, Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0g, Sodium: 0mg, Carbs: 21g, Protein: 2g
This is for one orange. There is no difference in the nutritional content between a fresh citrus fruit and a dehydrated citrus fruit.
(please remember these are approximate and will vary slightly based on your ingredient selections.)
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