Has anyone oven dried and stored strawberries and,if so, how would you rate them?

**Two_Sheds** · 08-05-2014, 05:50 PM

Originally posted by greenishfing View Post

Every summer I have a glut of strawberries. I freeze them and make ....

... ice cream, in our house

that's why none of my trousers fit me now

**greenishfing** · 08-05-2014, 06:05 PM

Yes, I forgot ice-cream. I make that too. My husband is now on a pre-summer diet.

**Patchninja** · 09-05-2014, 06:02 AM

Never tried that. I had some recently that were glac� - scrumptious but not good for the waistline either!

**Nicos** · 09-05-2014, 06:31 AM

I've bought them freeze dried and they were yummy and stored well.....but that doesn't answer your question I'm afraid.

Nice idea though!

( I bet you are very popular come strawberry picking time!)

Just a thought....we see a lot of fruit leathers here...like a concentrated jelly...and that keeps for a few months...and fairly easy to make in the oven I understand.
Might be worth giving that a bash?

**scarey55** · 09-05-2014, 07:01 AM

I make a lot of fruit leathers too. Just cook up the fruit, put it through a sieve, add it to some apple sauce and dry. It goes down really well with my French teacher and her friends.

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ETA:
Sorry, I said apple juice and it should read apple sauce (I buy it in jars from Lidl but you could make your own)

**Nicos** · 09-05-2014, 07:04 AM

Any chance of a recipe/ instructions for that Scarey?

**scarey55** · 09-05-2014, 08:03 AM

I just cook the fruit until it is soft, add sugar or honey to taste. In the case of strawberries or anything with seeds, I press through a sieve to get rid of most of the seeds but that is optional.
I add "some" apple sauce to mine, especially if I'm using blackcurrants, can't really say how much but, start with half apple to blackcurrants and see how that tastes.
I have a drier so put a layer of greaseproof paper on the drying rack and spoon the mixture on to it (not too thinly) and dry for as long as it takes. You could use an oven, my drier operates at 70�
I turn mine over on the paper as soon as it is handlable. Once dry, I cut it up into bite sized pieces or roll in a fresh piece of paper and keep in the fridge.

Not very technical but it seems to work for me. There are loads of recipes on 'tinternet but it is really easy. I have been known to cheat and make it with those little pots of compote too if I don't have any fruit.

**alldigging** · 09-05-2014, 08:11 AM

I had a go at drying some in the oven. Wasn't hugely successful (Impatience I think) but they tasted ok on ice cream, but tbh they freeze well whole and get jammed when I have time.

**scarey55** · 09-05-2014, 08:16 AM

... A couple of recipes, I haven't tried them but the first one gives you an idea how thick you need to spread the mixture.

Fruit Leather Recipe
Apple and Blackberry Leather

**Feral007** · 09-05-2014, 10:31 AM

About to try rosehip leathers. Says about 4 hours on low in the oven.

**Nicos** · 09-05-2014, 12:00 PM

Those look great Scarey!...mmmmmm.....

**Alison** · 09-05-2014, 12:11 PM

I've dried a load in the dehydrator and it's worked well. Used them in baking.

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**Ja9** · 09-05-2014, 08:52 PM

I've dried apple and pears successfully in the dehydrator . Still eating them now. Problem is it takes all day and the children can eat a trayful in a few mins.i like the idea of drying strawberries and raspberries too. Will give it a go this summer.

**BertieFox** · 10-05-2014, 12:50 PM

Drying fruit in an oven is extremely difficult as you need a current of air as well as just the heat, and it is far too easy to just 'cook' your strawberries rather than dry them. Although food dryers are quite expensive, if you have a lot of produce, I think they are well worth the money. But don't go for the cheap little models (usually circular kind) but instead choose the large rectangular ones with several trays. It is fairly easy to convince yourself that the investment is worth it, as they should last for ever.

Like Scarey55 I would back making fruit leathers, and strawberries would be perfect for that. They seem to capture the genuine 'strawberry' taste and you can store the pieces in jars without the need for freezing or preserving. We had a huge glut of peaches and I turned the entire surplus into wonderful peach leather which we enjoyed all winter long!

If I HAVE managed to persuade you to spend your hard earned money on a food dryer, use it for your surplus apples, as you can enjoy the dried slices all year round, and as for tomatoes... just like sun dried tomatoes...... don't even get me started!

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Has anyone oven dried and stored strawberries and,if so, how would you rate them?

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