pear storage--dehydrate for fruit leather?

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I forgot all about my dehydrator...would this work on pears? Do I have to peel them first, or dry them with peels on? Has anyone ever tried this? The dehydrator is electric and works great on everything else.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), October 11, 2001

Answers

I'm sorry - I only answered your question before, rather than really thinking outside it. Sure you can dehydrate them. Quarter them lengthwise, cut out the remnants of core, then peel them and dehydrate them. If you get on the dehydration quickly enough, you can probably save the ones which would otherwise have shown bruises.

For a Christmas treat, do some of them as glace fruit - that is, dehydrate them, then soak or better still poach lightly in a thick sugar syrup, then dehydrate again.

If you like, you can then preserve dehydrated or glace fruit in brandy or vodka or fortified wine (personal choice as to which fortified wine you'd like - sherry or muscat or tokay or your pick - port isn't that good because they go a funny colour, although it tastes OK). Even poach them in sauterne and then store in the fridge. VERY enjoyable (hic!).

And perry is still a good idea.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), October 11, 2001.


I've seen dehydrated pears with the skins still on. Personay, I would rather make pear butter or relish with them ,then dry them...they never seem to taste the way they do from the store. Good luck, though.

-- Wendy Antes (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), October 11, 2001.

I don't peal pears before dehydrating. Dip them in water with lemon juice or Fruit Fresh added after slicing them. We like them to munch on, true, they aren't very sweet, but have a good flavor. I have Bosc and Sickle pears. Also make Chutney with them.

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), October 11, 2001.

Warning - Dehydrated pears frequently have a grainy texture.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), October 11, 2001.

I blanch my pear pieces before dehydrating them. I find that they taste better that way , and no worries about weird colors developing while they dry.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001.


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