How to Dry Apricots (Oven or Dehydrator)
Dried persimmons are delicious, nutritious, and easy to make! Learn how to dry persimmon slices (Fuyu or Hachiya) in the oven or food dehydrator with this step-by-step guide.
Equipment
- A food dehydrator or oven
- Wire baking racks and baking sheets (if using the oven)
- Air tight storage containers
Ingredients
- Fresh ripe apricots
Instructions
- Wash the apricots well.
- Use a knife to cut each apricot in half (cutting in a circle around the pit) and then gently twist apart each half. Remove the pit.
- Spread out the apricot halves with their skin side facing down in a single layer on food dehydrator trays, OR on wire baking racks set on top of baking sheets. (See notes below)
- In a food dehydrator, dry the persimmons on 135°F (medium heat or fruit setting) for approximately 8 to 12 hours.
- In the oven, use the lowest temperature setting possible (150-175°F) until the centers are fully dry – about 6 to 8. Start routinely checking on the dried apricots after the first 2 to 3 hours. If you aren’t using a wire rack, flip the fruit over every couple of hours. If you’re drying more than one tray, rotate the trays a few times too.
- The apricots are done drying once they’re no longer wet or sticky in the center, have become leathery, and the edges start to curl. Drying the fruit for a shorter period of time will result in more soft and supple dried apricots. The longer they dry, the more tough, chewy, and jerky-like they will become. The more dry they are, the longer they'll last in storage.
- Once the dried apricots have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight storage container (e.g. zip lock bags or a large glass container with tight-fitting lid). Store in a cool, dark, dry location.
- If properly dried, the apricots stay good in dry storage for several months or longer. Storing them in the refrigerator will help prevent mold and extend their lifespan even further (though not required).
- Enjoy dried apricots as-is, in trail mix or granola, with oatmeal, yogurt, cheese, chocolate and more!
- If your dried apricots are on the tough side, you can easily reconstitute them by soaking them in water. Simply cover the dried apricots with warm water in a bowl, let them sit as long as needed to get soft and plump again (about thirty minutes to a couple hours), and then drain the water and pat dry.
Notes
Using wire racks helps apricots dry more evenly and quickly in the oven, allowing airflow all around fruit. If you don’t have wire baking racks, you can put them directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper instead. However, you’ll need to turn and flip the slices every hour this way, and it will take longer to dry.
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