How To Make Dehydrated Strawberries At Home
Dehydrated Strawberries are a delicious, convenient and healthy snack that can be eaten as is, or added to things like trail mixes and granola. They can also be powdered and used to dust over cakes or cupcakes. They’re a great way to preserve the fresh taste of spring and summer for months to come and making your own at home is simple.
In This Article
What Makes This Recipe So Good?
Strawberries are a rich source of vitamin C, in addition to other nutrients such as several B vitamins, fat soluble vitamins (A, E and K), and many minerals that are present in smaller amounts. They are also an excellent source of fibre and contain an exceptionally high volume of antioxidants. One group in particular, called anthocyanins, give berries their red-blue-purple colouring. They, along with other antioxidants, work to combat free-radical damage and reduce inflammation that can lead to poor health.
In terms of nutrient loss, it’s well known that heat can destroy vitamin C. This is often at high temperatures over long periods, which makes dehydrating a good choice. While it does take several hours it’s done at a very low temperature.
Ingredients – What You Need To Make This Recipe
Strawberry season generally spans from late spring to summer with peak season being middle to late summer. Depending on your location, they may also appear in late fall/autumn and the winter months too. Strawberries are all you’ll need for this recipe, though adding a little sugar and cinnamon is optional but delicious!
- Fresh strawberries – use ripe strawberries for the best flavour. Keep in mind that if the berries have little taste when they’re fresh, the same will be true when they’re dried. Look for strawberries that are plump and a deep red colour.
- Raw sugar and cinnamon – these are optional but do add depth and deliciousness to the strawberry chips when done. A little goes a long way too so you won’t need much.
When the berries are dried they will become quite tart. For strawberry chips that are more of a sweet treat, combine the strawberry slices with a little raw sugar and cinnamon before dehydrating. These are optional but do add depth and deliciousness to the berry slices when done. A little goes a long way too so you won’t need much.
How To Make Dehydrated Strawberries
Dehydrated berries are a great treat for those with a sweet tooth. But this is also an excellent way to increase the shelf life of a seasonal harvest . Steps 1-4 below will be the same regardless of the drying method you choose. After that, the only real difference will be how long it takes the berries to dry in each appliance. The dehydrator will take the longest given it’s on a lower temperature. The air fryer will take the shortest amount of time overall.
- Prepare the strawberries: Wash and dry strawberries well then cut the green leafy top off.
- Slice strawberries: Cut the berries into thin slices by first cutting each in half lengthways, then cutting each half in half or thirds again depending on the size of the berry. You’re looking for slices that are roughly ½ cm/little less than ¼ inch thick.
- Add sweetener (optional but delicious): Place the slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon. Toss very gently to combine.
- Dehydrate the strawberries. There are several ways to do this:
Using A Dehydrator
- Place the sliced berries in a single layer on mesh dehydrator trays with space between each.
- Dehydrate on 135ºF or 57ºC for 10-12 hours.
Using An Air Fryer
Many air fryers have a dehydrate function, which makes it a great option for dehydrating smaller quantities of fresh fruit.
- Line air fryer trays with parchment paper.
- Place the strawberries in a single layer on each tray with space between them to allow for air flow.
- Press the dehydrate button and lower the temperature to 140ºF or 60ºC then dehydrate for 2-3 hours. Air fryers often default to 160°F/70°C for dehydrating, but I’ve found this too high for strawberries using this method because of the very dry heat.
Oven-Dried Strawberries
- Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature (around 160°F or 70°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the strawberries in a single layer with space between them. Dry for 3-4 hours.
Overall drying time will depend on the method you choose and the thickness of the berry slices. As such, the times given here may vary slightly. The strawberries are done when they are pliable, no longer sticky and are a little chewy or they snap in half. They should not feel damp or spongy at all. If they do, leave them in the dehydrator for an extra hour or half an hour in the air fryer and oven and check again.
Store: Once the strawberries are completely dry allow them to cool completely then transfer them to an airtight container. If stored in a cool, dark place they can keep for several months.
Top tip for all methods: It’s often easier to separate the strawberry edge slices from the middle pieces and have these on their own tray. The edges are fleshier and can take longer to dry through completely. If they’re not done when all the other slices are ready that tray can just be left for another hour or as needed.
Substitutions And Variations
Take one extra step and make strawberry powder. This can be used as an additive and preservative-free sprinkle for muffins, cakes, cupcakes, ice cream or anything else you choose. If doing this, the strawberries must be dried until crisp or they will be difficult to grind.
To reduce food waste, see my Strawberry Shrub recipe for a great way to use the tops of the berries once they’re cut off!
Tips For Success With This Recipe
The best strawberries to use are those that are ripe, sweet, and full of flavour. Dried strawberries will only taste as good as they did when fresh.
For best results ensure all excess moisture is removed from the strawberries before you cut them. I also just pat the slices gently with a paper towel before they go into the dehydrator.
Use the mesh trays to do this in the dehydrator – the silicone sheets are better for things like fruit leather.
In the air fryer – any fruit on the top shelves generally dries much faster than those on the bottom. For this reason I suggest rotating the trays every hour to ensure they dry evenly. If you don’t have enough strawberries to completely fill your air fryer, use the bottome shelves for drying. I also suggest placing an empty tray on the shelf above to stop them flying around as they get lighter from loss of moisture.
Storing/Freezing
Store in a mason jar/glass jars or any airtight container you have in a cool, dark and dry place. Out of direct sunlight is best, as the sun may cause condensation to form, which will result in moulding of the strawberries.
FAQ
If kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry, and dark place the will last for several month. In fact, so long as there is no mould on the berries they are fine to eat regardless of how long they’ve been kept. Just note the texture may become more chewy over time.
Using a dehydrator is the best way to dehydrate a large volume of strawberries while retaining all the nutrients they have to offer. Next best would be the oven or air fryer.
More Strawberry Recipes
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How To Make Dehydrated Strawberries At Home
Equipment
- 1 Dehydrator, oven, or air fryer
Ingredients
- 2.2 pounds fresh strawberries (or as much as you like) (1kg)
- 1 tbsp raw sugar (optional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and dry strawberries well then cut the green leafy top off.
- Slice strawberries into thin slices by first cutting each in half lengthways, then cutting each half in half or into thirds again depending on the size of the berry. You're looking for slices that are roughly ½ cm/little less than ¼ inch thick.
- Optional, but if desired, place the slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Toss very gently to combine.
- If using a dehydrator: Place the sliced berries in a single layer on mesh dehydrator trays with space between each. Dehydrate on 135ºF or 57ºC for 10-12 hours.
- If using an air fryer: Line air fryer trays with parchment paper. Place the strawberries in a single layer on each tray with space between them to allow for air flow. Press the dehydrate button and lower the temperature to 140ºF or 60ºC then dehydrate for 2-3 hours (see note 4 below).
- If using the oven: Preheat to the lowest temperature (around 160°F or 70°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange the strawberries in a single layer with space between them. Dry out for 3-4 hours.
- The strawberries are done when they are pliable, no longer sticky and are a little chewy or they snap in half. They should not feel damp or spongy at all. If they do, leave them in the dehydrator for an extra hour or half an hour in the air fryer and oven and check again.
- Once the strawberries are completely dry allow them to cool then transfer them to an airtight container. If stored in a cool, dry, dark place they can be kept for several months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY