One method for drying is using a dehydrator. The dehydrator will dry the pears by using a low heat, as well as blowing warm air with a fan, for an efficient drying process.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can dry the pears in the oven, on it’s lowest temperature setting. A baker’s rack can help speed to up this drying process, by helping to circulate air.
Another choice for drying pears is to dehydrate them in an air fryer. This is a good choice if you have just a few fruit to dry. The air fryer must have a dehydrate button to dry the pears using this method.
SLICE THE FRUIT
The ripe pears can be sliced with the skin of the pear in place.
Use a paring knife to remove the stem, as well as the blossom end of the pear.
Next, use a mandolin slicer or a sharp knife, to cut the pears into thin slices, approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inches thick.
Using a mandolin slicer will create uniformity in the sliced pieces of fruit. It also does a quick and easy job.
Uniform slices will help the drying fruit to complete the drying process at the same time.
SOAK THE FRUIT TO PREVENT OXIDATION
To prevent oxidation of the fruit, it is an option to dip the pear slices into water containing lemon juice.
To make this mixture, place 1/4 cup of lemon juice into a large bowl of water, and allow the slices to soak for several minutes.
I found that the pear slices that I worked with did not tend to brown quickly, and not require this step.
If your pears are browning after cutting, this is definitely a step to consider.
DRYING PEARS IN THE DEHYDRATOR
Drying pears in a food dehydrator is a quick and easy method.
Depending on the type of dehydrator that you have available, you will likely have multiple stacked trays on which to dry the fruit. This will allow you to dry many fruit slices all at once, and help with the efficiency of the process.
To dry the sliced pears, arrange the pieces on the dehydrator trays so that they are in a single layer. It’s okay if the edges of the pieces are touching, because they won’t be touching for long.
As the fruit slices start to dry, the fruit will begin to shrink, and the slices will no longer be crowded together.
After all of the trays have been covered by the pear slices, place them in the dehydrator.
Set the temperature to the fruit and veggie setting, which is 135°F.
Plug the unit in.
Drying time is an approximation, and dependent on the dehydrator, as well as the fruit. Fruit that has been evenly sliced will dry more uniformly, and more likely to dry at the same time.
Thinner slices will dehydrate more quickly than thicker slices.
The size of your pears as well as the moisture content will also make a difference in drying time.
The pears that were sliced with the mandolin slicer took 3.5 hours to dry in the food dehydrator.
Remove the pear slices from the dehydrator when they are completely dry.
Allow the fruit slices to cool to room temperate before storing away.
Store the dehydrated fruit in an air-tight container.
OVEN METHOD FOR DRYING PEARS
To dry pears in the oven, place the pear slices on a baking tray.
The fruit slices can go directly onto the baking sheet, or on top of a wire rack that is placed on top of the baking sheet. The wire rack is optional, and will help to allow air flow around the fruit during the drying process.
It’s a good idea to spray the drying surfaces lightly with a non stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Place the pieces in a single layer on the wire rack or baking sheet.
Drying time is dependent on the thickness of the pear slices, as well as the oven temperature.
DRYING PEARS IN AN AIR FRYER
Place the trays into the air fryer, and dry for approximately 3 hours.
The drying time is dependent on your own air fryer, and the size and thickness of the pear fruit slices.
Monitor the drying process to determine best drying time for your own air fryer dried fruit.
The air fryer has a fan, so is very similar to the dehydrator drying process.
The drying space in the air fryer is much smaller than that of the oven or dehydrator, so this method of drying is best used for a small batch of fruit.
Once the fruit slices have dried, remove them from the air fryer and allow to cool to room temperature.
Store in an air tight container.
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