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Drying peaches at home is a very good thing because peaches when they are dried have a distinct taste that is different from any other fruit that I dry them.
There are many ways to dry peaches, but if you are looking for one place that will tell you everything you need to know about drying peaches at home, I will try to make this post the place.
That is why I will share with you everything you can want to know about drying peaches at home, such as the famous and non-famous methods, as well as what is the extent to which peaches remain usable, and also some tips on how to choose plums that are suitable for drying.
How to choose the right peach for drying?
As a general rule, peaches should be without any mold, and also the size should be medium, not large or small
Second, the peaches must be ripe (do not choose green or dry peaches)
Tip: When picking peaches, try to grab each peach and press it a little bit if you find that it is full Of liquids, do not choose these peaches because this indicates a high probability of the presence of internal rot and will also take a long time to dry.
What you are looking for is medium-sized ripe freestone peaches not cling peaches.
Do you have to peel peaches before dehydrating them?
As a general rule, NO you do not need to peel the peaches before dehydration, it is up to you according to your personal preference.
Personally, I prefer to peel peaches for one reason only, which is to add another layer of safety to my family (I don’t know how many people check peaches before I buy them), and even with good washing, there is still a chance of any bacteria on the surface of the peaches.
How to peel peaches fast?
In general, you can peel peaches by using a vegetable peeler or by soaking peaches in hot water for 2 minutes, then moving them to clod water for 5 min & finally peeling them with your hands.
ٍSteps for How to Peel Peaches using hot water?
1-After washing the peaches well with water and vinegar, cut the skin of the peaches in the form of an X (to make it easier for you to peel later)
2-Put the peaches in hot water for 2 minutes.
3-Put the peaches in Coldwater for 5 minute
4-From the side where you made a cut.
How to Dry Peaches At Home?
You can dry the peaches at home by using a dehydrator for 18 hours at a temperature of 135 F or using the oven at fifty degrees for 4 hours with the oven door open.
Steps for dehydrating Peaches at Home.
- After peeling the peach, cut it in half and remove the inner seed
- Cut the peaches into medium-sized slices.
- Put the peaches on the shelves of the electric food dehydrator, taking care to use the mesh sheets.
- Remove the peach slices from the sides on the shelves of the food dehydrator.
- Every 8 hours, turn the shelves of the food dehydrator to ensure that all the peaches get the same degree of drying.
- After 24 hours, remove the peaches from the food dehydrator (you should wait until they cool completely).
- Put the peaches in an air-tight jar on the shelf.
How do you dry peaches without a dehydrator?
In general, you can dry peaches without a food dehydrator using a natural source of heat such as the sun or other heat sources such as the oven or microwave
Sun Drying Peaches.
If you live in a sunny place, you can use solar energy to dry peaches by cutting the peaches into slices with the removal of the inner seed and placing them in the sun for a period ranging from 3 to 5 days
You can watch this video that explains the solar drying of peaches in detail.
Can peaches be dried in the oven?
Yes, peaches can be dried using the home oven by cutting the peaches into slices, removing the inner seed, and then placing the peaches in the oven rack at 50 degrees for 4 hours, provided that you turn the peach slices every two hours.
What distinguishes this method is that it does not take much time to dry peaches compared to a food dehydrator.
The disadvantage is that you will not be able to use the oven for any other purpose.
How long do dried peaches last?
As a general rule, home-dried peaches can last between one to two years, if they are well dried and also kept in an oxygen-free jar in a dry and dark place.
Tips to make your dried Peaches last longer.
In this part, I will share with you some useful tips and tricks to make dried peaches last longer.
1- Keep dried peaches away from oxygen
There is a rule that we all know as food lovers, which is that oxygen is the first enemy of any dried food because oxygen helps to change the taste and spoil the food quickly.
Therefore, it is preferable to put the dried plums in a jar and then withdraw the oxygen from it through vacuum sealing or if this option is not available You can use an oxygen absorber.
2- keep away from moisture.
Moisture greatly increases the possibility of dried peaches spoiling, so you should put dried peaches in a dry place away from moisture or use a moisture absorbent.
3-Keep your Jars Clean
You must make sure that the jars that you will use to store dried peaches are completely clean and dry because the presence of any dirt will increase the possibility of mold formation in the long run.
Ideas for using dried peaches.
1- Make it Powder
One of the very good ideas is to grind dried peaches and turn them into a powder, and this method is preferred for me because it increases the possibility of using dried peaches in many recipes, such as putting a little of it on ice cream or on a cake and also yogurt.
How to make Dried Peaches powder?
In order to preserve the dried peaches in the form of a powder, you must grind it, then put it in the oven for an hour at a temperature of 50, then filter it using a strainer, then put it in a jar and withdraw the oxygen from it.
2- Eat it as sweet Snacks.
If you want to serve dried peaches as a sweetened snack for your children, you should put the peaches before drying in a syrup of sugar and then put them in an electric food dehydrator. I will share with you my secret recipe for making dried peach syrup in the next part.
Instruction to make Sweet Dried peaches.
1- Peel the peaches and cut them into slices and
2- soak them in the syrup for 24 Hrs (to prepare the syrup put 3 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water & boil them till sugar and water are fully combined).
3-Soak the peaches in the syrup for 24 hrs.
4-remove Peaches from the syrup and put them in a strainer so they lose all the syrup
5-put the peaches in the dehydrator and dehydrate them (following the same mentioned step in the first section of this post)
Conclusion.
Peaches can be dried at home by an electric food dehydrator, and also using solar drying, oven, or microwave.
When choosing peaches for drying, they should be fully ripe and firm in texture, and also have a medium size.
The best way to remove the peach peel is to put the peach in hot water, then in cold water, and remove the peel by hand.
Dried peaches can last for a year or two if the correct drying method is followed and storage rules are observed.
One of the most important storage rules to extend the life of dried peaches is to keep away from moisture and oxygen.
A good idea to use dried peaches is to turn them into powder or serve them as sweetened snacks.
Useful Resources.
Top Tips For Successful Food Dehydration For Beginners
How Do You Preserve Dried Mango? (Explained)
The Best Way To Dehydrate Apricots At Home
External Resources.
10 Surprising Foods That Benefit from Refrigeration
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