How to Dry Kiwi in an Excalibur (or Another Dehydrator)
Got extra kiwi fruit? Along with freezing kiwi fruit for later use in smoothies, dehydrating is one of the best things you can do with a lot kiwis. It is also a great way to reap the health benefits of kiwi because dehydrating does not destroy the fiber in kiwi fruit nor does it have a massive impact on its vitamin C content. Read on to learn how to dehydrate fresh kiwi fruit at home, with or without a food dehydrator.
How to Dry Kiwi in a Dehydrator
- Purchase fresh kiwis that are ripe but overly soft. If you can only get unripe kiwis, not to worry: you can let them ripen on the kitchen counter at room temperature.
- Rinse the kiwis to remove pesticides and pathogens, and peel them with a sharp paring knife. Cut the peeled fruits into 1/4 inch thick slices.
- Fresh kiwifruit is one of the easiest fruits to dry in a dehydrator because it does not need to be pretreated with lemon juice or any other anti-oxidizing solution before drying. Therefore, after cutting the fruit, you can directly arrange the kiwi slices on dehydrator trays, making sure the slices are not overlapping. Then, place the trays in your dehydrator.
- Dehydrate the sliced kiwis 135°F (or 57°C). If you are not using an Excalibur with a back-mounted fan, or another dehydrator that provides horizontal air flow, you should rotate the trays every few hours to ensure even drying.
- It takes about 5 to 12 hours to dry sliced kiwis in an efficient dehydrator. Note that when done, kiwi chips will not be crisp like banana chips, but pliable and a little bit chewy.
How to Dehydrate Kiwi Without a Dehydrator
Even if you don't have an Excalibur dehydrator or another food dehydrator at home, don't worry: you can also dry kiwis without a dehydrator if you have an oven that can register as low as 130°F to 140°F. Convection ovens are best suited for dehydrating projects because they have a fan that helps move the air inside the oven as well as an outlet that allows moisture to escape. However, you may also be able to get good results with a conventional oven, but you will have to prop the door open a few inches to let moisture escape and to be prepared for an extended drying time (drying kiwis in a conventional oven may take up to two to three times as long as drying kiwis in a dehydrator or a convection oven). What's more, if you use a conventional oven, you may have to place a fan outside the oven, near the door, to ensure sufficient air circulation.
Sponsored Links / Ads
Don't Miss This
Vitamin C in Kiwi Fruit (& How to Reap the Benefits)Learn all about the vitamin C content of kiwi fruit and how to make the most out of it.