Pineapple is available in supermarkets year-round so you may be asking why to bother dehydrating it in the first place. I dry pineapple because it is a star ingredient in my breakfast granola but it also is a really great snack, like eating sweets and is especially popular with children.
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Drying Pineapple
You are unlikely to have a glut of pineapples unless you happen to be a very shrewd gardener in a warm climate. Nevertheless, I like to but a few pineapples when they are on sale for eating fresh and also to preserve.
Drying is a great way to treat pineapples because that sweetness is intensified almost like candy, this is why it is so popular with my kids.
If I notice a sale on pineapple I will but a few and prepare them all at the same time. I can then eat fresh pineapple and the rest can be dried and added to other meals or snacked on.
Preparing Pineapple For Dehydrating
Everyone knows peeling and preparing a pineapple is a bit of a pain.
The brown eyes that remain if you don’t peel the pineapple deep enough are tough and ruin the texture. If these eyes are on the pineapple after drying they are even tougher and not pleasant so making sure you are thorough when peeling the pineapple is vital.
Top and tail the pineapple and then slice the skin off downward, ensure none of the brown skin or eyes is left on the pineapple flesh.
To avoid losing a lot of the pineapple flesh when you remove the brown eyes from the pineapple lay the pineapple on its side and cut the eyes out by slicing a v-shaped channel around the eyes. It is laborious but saves a lot of fruit.
Next, you need to remove the core so either slice the sides away from the core or if you have a corer slice the pineapple into discs and remove the core with the corer.
How Thick to Slice the Pineapple For Drying?
The thicker the pineapple rings or segments the longer they will take to dry. If they are thin they dry quicker but can become quite crisp so a balanced approach is necessary.
I slice my pineapple around 1/2 inch thick at most and this maintains a nice texture in the dried pineapple without taking too long to dehydrate.
Does Pineapple Need Pretreating Before Dehydrating?
Some fruits can discolour or deteriorate after drying so you have to pretreat them. Fortunately, pineapple needs no pretreatment so you can skip this step, however, if you want to you can try blanching in sugar syrup.
Blanching the pineapple in light sugar syrup will result in a sweeter and more supple dehydrated pineapple.
Mixing sugar with water in a 2:1 ratio, 2 parts water to 1 part sugar will result in a light syrup. This needs to be heated in a pan to dissolve and boiled for a minute or so. The pineapple can then be blanched for 3 – 4 minutes before being patted dry and then dehydrated.
This treatment is completely optional and will add sugar to the dried pineapple so can be skipped.
How To Dry Pineapple In A Dehydrator
Drying pineapple in a dehydrator is really simple and it is the quickest and most efficient way to do it.
Once the pineapple has been prepared and cut into 1/2 inch or smaller thick rings or pieces they can be arranged on the racks of the dehydrator. Leave plenty of space for airflow between the pieces to ensure even drying.
Set the trays in the dehydrator and if you have a thermostat set the dehydrator to around 50C / 120F.
Check the pineapple after 6 – 8 hours, then around every 30 minutes after until fully dried.
Depending on the ripeness and thickness of the pieces the pineapple may take 8 – 14 hours to fully dry.
How To Dry Pineapple In An Oven
Drying pineapple in the oven is not as efficient as a dehydrator so may take a little longer but the result can be just as good.
It is a good idea to invest in a few racks so the pineapple can be spread out and airflow can circulate through the pieces which will fry the fruit quicker.
Arrange the pineapple evenly over the racks, leaving space between the pieces for airflow. The racks can be set in the oven at the lowest temperature (around 50C / 120F.) with the fan on. If you have no fan in the oven then crack the door open.
The racks may need to be rotated throughout the drying process to ensure even drying. Check progress regularly especially after around 7-8 hours.
Depending on the temperature and airflow in the oven pineapple can take between 7-18 hours in a fan oven.
What Is The Best Temperature To Dehydrate Pineapple?
The best temperature to dehydrate fruit like pineapple is between 45 – 65C / 110 – 135F.
At this temperature, you maintain as many nutrients as possible and strike a balance between drying the pineapple quickly without overdrying the outside compared to the inside of the fruit.
At this temperature, it will take around 8 – 14 hours to fully dry the pineapple.
Dehydrating Pineapple In AN Oven or Dehydrator
A simple and delicious snack on its own or dried pineapple is great in cakes, cookies or granola.
Ingredients
- 1 Pineapple
Instructions
How To Dry Pineapple In A Dehydrator?
- Prepare the pineapple by peeling and removing any brown eyes in the flesh. Cut into rings or pieces around 1/2 inch thick or thinner.
- Arrange the pineapple pieces in the dehydrator racks with plenty of space between to allow even airflow.
- The racks can then be arranged in the dehydrator ready to start drying.
- A dehydrator set at around 50C / 120F will take around 8 - 14 hours to dehydrate the plums.
How To Dehydrate in the Oven
- Using an oven to dehydrate pineapple is simple. The pineapple can be prepared as noted above.
- You will need a few racks to arrange the pineapple on allowing room for warm air to circulate around the fruit.
- Set your oven to its lowest temperature preferably with the fan on. If you don't have a fan oven prop the door open to allow air circulation.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 17Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 0g
