How to Dry Peaches in a Dehydrator

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Half peach & peach image by Galaiko Sergey from Fotolia.com

Dried peaches make a perfect snack whether you are relaxing at home or hiking in the woods. They can be bought at most supermarkets, but are generally much cheaper to make at home. Dehydrators give you more control when compared to drying in the sun and uses less energy than drying in an oven. The process for drying peaches in a dehydrator is fairly straightforward, but there are a few steps that are vital for good results.

Cut the peaches into five or six even wedges with a sharp knife. Discard the pits and put the wedges into a large mixing bowl.

Add 4 cups pineapple juice, 4 cups warm water and ¼ cup bottled lemon juice to the mixing bowl. If drying five or more peaches, you may need to make another batch of the liquid ingredients.

Let the peaches soak in the liquid for five hours. This will help the peaches retain their color and sweet flavor during the drying process.

Remove the peach wedges from the liquid and arrange them on the food dehydrator trays. Do not let the wedges overlap each other as they need adequate space to dry. For most dehydrators, each square foot of space can dry about 1 pound of food.

Let the peaches dry in the dehydrator until they are ready. Depending on your particular dehydrator, this can take anywhere from a few days to a week. They should have a soft and somewhat leathery texture when ready.