Drying: Oven-Drying and Preserving Luscious Flavors

[Guest guest]

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Drying: Oven-Drying and Preserving Luscious Flavors

 

Recipe By : Healthful cooking, Mary Carroll, StarTrib 10/01

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Fruits Info/Tips

Vegetables

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

***** NONE *****

 

The rich taste of just-harvested fruit and vegetables will soon become a

fleeting memory unless you put your oven to use.

 

Oven-drying uses a slow, gentle heat to cook and caramelize flavors. The

outside of a sliced pear or tomato dries and the inside remains slightly

chewy. Dried fruits and vegetables keep in the refrigerator for several

weeks or can be frozen for several months. Completely dried fruit, such as

raisins dried commercially from grapes, can keep at room temperature, but

home-dried fruit is best refrigerated or frozen for health reasons.

 

Anyone can succeed with oven drying with minimal equipment. The main goal

is to dry but not cook the food, so it's best to have the oven set between

200 and 225 degrees. If you're unsure of how accurate your oven might be,

check the temperature with an oven thermometer and adjust your recipe. The

goal is fruit or vegetables that have concentrated, rich flavors and

subdued colors.

 

The drier the food, the more preserved it is. It's not like canning or

freezing, however, where food can be stored for months or

longer. Home-dried foods generally lose flavor and color within 6 to 8

weeks. Drying prolongs summer, but doesn't hold it indefinitely.

 

Most recipes take between two and 12 hours to dry foods, depending on the

desired crispness. The lower the heat, the longer the drying

process. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper, available in most

cookware or grocery stores. The parchment paper will keep any juices from

sticking the fruit or vegetable to the pan.

 

The best candidates for drying are tomatoes, stone fruits, pears, apples,

figs and grapes. Make sure you choose ripe but not mushy produce. Cut out

any moldy or bruised spots, because these will affect the result.

 

See separate recipes for: Dried Tomatoes With Herbs, Dried Pears and

Apples, Dried Apricots

 

-- Mary Carroll is a Minneapolis author of three cookbooks. She teaches at

Byerly's cooking school.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -