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Home » How To » How to Dehydrate Strawberries in an Oven

How to Dehydrate Strawberries in an Oven

June 24, 2009 by Faith 15 Comments

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Every year, my mom, my sister, my niece, and I all go strawberry picking together.  And every year my mom and sister enthusiastically head make a mad dash for opposite ends of the berry field, leaving me to fend for my niece.  Did I mention my niece is 5 years old, eats three times as many berries as she picks, and has to “go potty” every 15 minutes?  I didn’t have to worry about that though, because unfortunately this year most of the strawberry crops in my area did not do well.  The crop failed entirely at the farm where we usually pick…they told us they might have something later this summer, but as of yet, nada.  

 

I decided to buy some local berries instead.  At our local produce outlet, they only had two quarts left on the day we went!  Talk about slim pickings.  (I’ll definitely be back there though.)  Anyway, I snatched them up and since then have been deliberating on how to use my precious loot.  I decided to dehydrate the berries to make my favorite granola. 

 

I don’t have a food dehydrator, so I used my oven to dehydrate the strawberries.  Here’s how to do it:

 

You Will Need:

Strawberries (however many you want to dehydrate; remember they shrink down a lot)

A little canola oil

Baking sheet(s)

Thermometer able to register 140F

An oven

A small fan

 

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Step 1:  Wash the berries and pat them dry.  I find the best way to wash the berries is to fill a clean sink with cold water, add the berries, and gently agitate them around; change the water as many times as it takes for the berries and water to be dirt-free.

 

Step 2:  Once the berries are dry, hull and slice them.  To hull the berries, insert a paring knife at an angle into the berry near the green leafy top area (called the hull, this is the place where the berry connects to the leafy stem); use a circular motion to cut out the hull, then discard it.  Once hulled, cut the berries into slices ~.25 inches (or 5-8 mm) thick; try to cut the berries uniformly thick so that they dehydrate evenly.  Once they’re sliced the berries are ready for dehydration; some fruits need to be pretreated to prevent them from darkening (like apples), but strawberries are ready to go.

Strawberry Fan
Strawberry Fan

Step 3:  Very lightly grease a baking sheet evenly with canola oil.

 

Step 4:  Arrange the sliced berries in a single layer so that they don’t touch.

 

Strawberry Hearts
Strawberry Hearts

 

Step 5:  Place the berries in a 140F oven and dehydrate.  Most ovens don’t go as low as 140F, so you should set the oven to the “warm” setting (or as low as it will go) and prop the door of the oven open ~6 inches.  Check the temperature with a thermometer to make sure it stays around 140F; adjust the oven setting as needed (the temperature will fluctuate slightly because of the oven door being open).  The air around the fruit needs circulation, so you can position a small fan near the open oven door (but don’t point the fan directly into the oven). 

 

Step 6:  Check the berries every 2 hours, and flip them with a thin spatula as needed (I usually flip when they start looking shriveled on one side).

 

Step 7:  The berries are done dehydrating when you can’t see any moisture left, and they’re not sticky or tacky to the touch, but they’re still somewhat pliable (try not to let them get to the point of being brittle).  If you put the berries in a jar, they should rattle when shaken.  This should take anywhere between 8-20 hours, depending on the heat, humidity, ripeness of the berries, and how thick you cut the berries; for me it took ~10 hours. 

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Step 8:  Let the dehydrated berries cool at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.

 

Step 9:  You should pasteurize the berries to kill any insects and their eggs.  To do this place the berries in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and leave them in the freezer (0F or below) for 2 days.

 

Step 10:  The last step is conditioning the berries, which is necessary to equally distribute any remaining moisture in the berries, which in turn reduces the risk of mold.  This can be done by placing the berries in a closed jar and leaving it on the countertop for 7-10 days; shake the jar once a day but do not open the jar until conditioning is done.

 

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Step 11:  Enjoy!

 

You can read more about dehydrating strawberries (and other fruits and veggies) here. 

Filed Under: How To Tagged: Dehydrating, How To, Strawberries

Comments

  1. luckycook says

    August 13, 2013 at 11:08 am

    Very helpful!
    Can i try this with frozen strawberries
    Is so what should I be doing different?
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Faith says

      August 14, 2013 at 6:50 am

      Hi luckycook, I wouldn’t recommend using frozen strawberries for this recipe because when frozen strawberries thaw they are waterlogged – so the water content is too high and they are mushy. Because of that I don’t think they’d dehydrate well. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  2. Esther says

    April 6, 2013 at 5:32 am

    if you are planning to eat them all in a day, could you just have them after they have been cooled? (so no conditioning)
    Thank you :) they look really good. Planning on trying them as soon as I get an answer!

    Reply
    • Faith says

      April 7, 2013 at 8:49 am

      Esther, Yes, if you are planning to eat them all in one day you could skip the conditioning. Hope you enjoy them! :)

      Reply
  3. Erica F says

    September 13, 2012 at 11:56 am

    I was wondering if you could tell me how long these will stay good after the conditioning period? We are going on vacation in a few weeks, but I have strawberries now…will they keep that long? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Faith says

      September 13, 2012 at 12:26 pm

      Erica, After conditioning, they should last 6 months or more, just be sure to store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  4. rahma dewi says

    October 18, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    hi.. ur recepi is very good.. i will try in my home… thanks for ur sharing..

    Reply
  5. Lauren B says

    July 12, 2009 at 9:55 am

    That is so cool that you can do this in your oven! Will definitely be trying this.

    What exactly is conditioning? The berries don’t just go moldy in the jar like that?

    Reply
    • admin says

      July 12, 2009 at 10:57 am

      Lauren B, Conditioning the berries equally distributes any moisture still remaining in the berries, which in turn reduces the risk of mold. The berries should not mold during the conditioning process if they have been dehydrated properly (see step 7). The berries are finished dehydrating when you can’t see any moisture left, and they’re not sticky or tacky to the touch, but they’re still somewhat pliable (try not to let them get to the point of being brittle). If you put the berries in a jar, they should rattle when shaken.

      Reply
  6. Reeni says

    June 25, 2009 at 1:30 pm

    The strawberries look so good like this! I don’t think I’ve ever had one this way! Like sweet, healthy potato chips.

    Reply
  7. Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says

    June 25, 2009 at 12:38 pm

    This is exactly the recipe I was looking for. I was wondering if there was a good way to dehydrate strawberries without buying any expensive equipment. Thank you so much for sharing this method!

    Reply
  8. Parita says

    June 25, 2009 at 9:56 am

    Wow i never knew this! i love the dehydrated strawberries, looks so good!

    Reply
  9. [email protected] says

    June 25, 2009 at 2:09 am

    faith thanx for the tip. i never knew we can dehydrate strawberries this way. nice post
    cheers!!

    Reply
  10. Rae says

    June 24, 2009 at 6:06 pm

    The strawberries look very good. You can also make jerky in an oven. Best

    Reply
  11. Krista says

    June 24, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    I never knew there were so many steps to dehydrating! The finished product looks great, though…

    Reply

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Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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