A handy guide to making dried fruit at home

Making Raisins And Sultanas Sun-drying is hard work but well worth the effort and the results are delicious.

Sun-drying fruit is a healthy survival techniTue employed by humankind since the beginning of time. As a culinary art, this method of preserving food has yet to be beaten.

These days we no longer have to forage for seasonal fruits but, unless growing our own, it still makes sense to purchase fruit in season when prices are low and to sun-dry to cover for when prices are astronomically high. %ursting with nutrients and light to carry around, sun-dried fruits are higher in sugar than their fresh counterparts and this is Must one of the reasons they are recognised as being amongst the best possible foods with which to overcome mental and or physical e[haustion, stress and for boosting stamina. Apples, for instance, are one of the easiest fruits to dry and can be dried in the sun, the oven or in a purpose-designed dehydrator which, if you invest in one, will rapidly pay you back. Select crisp, undamaged, fresh apples and wash, peel and core them. Slice thinly, immediately submersing the slices in a bowl containing one litre of water in which one dessert spoon of salt and the Muice of a large lemon has been mi[ed.

This mi[ture prevents the apples from browning during the drying process.

Sun-drying in full swing.

/eave the apple slices in the mi[ture for two to three minutes, drain and pat dry in a tea-towel.

Ne[t spread the apple slices out on stainless steel or wooden trays boards (these should be scalded with boiling water prior to use) — do not use aluminum or plastic trays since these can leach to[ins into the fruit. /ay the trays on an outdoor table, or some other easy-to-clean surface, in direct sun and cover with fine muslin cloth (mulmul) to prevent flies and other insects landing on the fruit.

The fruit shrinks as it dries. Turn the fruit over once or twice a day during the drying process, bringing the trays inside the house each evening and putting them back outside each morning.

Drying time varies depending on the heat of the sun but, in good drying weather with very little or no humidity, apple slices can be dry and ready to pack in air tight containers in two to three days.

The slices are ready once they feel dry but are still slightly springy when bent if they are left out too long, the result is overly crisp.

The same process is used to sun-dry pears. Peaches are stoned, sliced and then spread out to dry.

Apricots and plums are cut in half, stoned